Marine Gets 15 Years For Iraqi's Death

Squad Leader Sentenced For Shooting Civilian During Unsuccessful Search For Insurgent

(AP)  A jury sentenced a Marine sergeant Friday to 15 years in prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian during a fruitless search for an insurgent.

Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III also was dishonorably discharged, reduced in rank to private and verbally reprimanded.

His wife burst into tears as the verdict was read.

On Thursday, Hutchins became the first and only member of an eight-member squad to be convicted of murder in the killing.

He had been charged with premeditated murder but jurors struck premeditation from the verdict, meaning Hutchins no longer faced a mandatory life sentence.

Testimony from several of his comrades pointed to him as the mastermind of the plot to kidnap and kill a suspected insurgent.

Hutchins, of Plymouth, Mass., was also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, making a false official statement and larceny. He was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking.

Testimony showed the victim was kidnapped and killed when the squad couldn't find the suspected insurgent.

Prosecutors previously identified the victim as Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52. The name, however, was dropped from charge sheets.

All eight members of the squad were initially charged with murder and kidnapping.

Four lower-ranking Marines and a Navy corpsman cut deals with prosecutors in exchange for their testimony and received sentences ranging from one to eight years in prison.

Earlier in the day, a separate jury sentenced a Marine corporal to time served and reduced his rank to private for conspiring to murder an Iraqi civilian.

Cpl. Marshall Magincalda, 24, has already served 448 days in custody and was to be freed Friday.

“I was very happy that I got a fair trial,” Magincalda said after his sentencing. “I feel really good, and I feel proud to serve as a Marine.”

Magincalda was acquitted of murder but also found guilty of larceny and housebreaking, and cleared of making a false official statement.

A jury last month acquitted another corporal of murder but convicted him of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping. According to testimony, Cpl. Trent Thomas of Madison, Ill., had greater involvement in the killing than Magincalda. Thomas was sentenced to a reduction in rank and a bad-conduct discharge but no prison time.

The squad was pulled from the battlefield after the slaying.

[j-whitman]

mcdazz,,,, There are over 8 Million innocent people facing starvation in Iraq now -- Another 4 Million displaced in neighboring countries facing the same delima.

This is about to cause the largest Genocide in history,, reguardless of if we leave or not.

[j-whitman]

mcdazz,,,,, Just who exactly is the "insurgernts" ?? --- They are Arab & Iraqi Sunni's & Iraqi Shiites.... Over half of the prisoners are from Arab lands (Sunni's) -
--- Bush armed the most violent of the 2 & they both have told us they will return to fighting the occupation.

citizenkane7 wrote:

"If everyone who owns a weapon over there in the sandbox on our side killed one Iraqi insurgent we could call it good and come home.How in the hell can you tell the good rags from the bad? Easy .....You Cannot...Lots of people do not agree on how Bush is running the war and I disagree with him also..they are not killing enuff of the islamic freaks who have vowed to kill every person that disagrees with them..that is a real great religion"

How many christian religious freaks are over there right now killing people in the name of "freedom"?

You f#$king morons are no different to the Muslim extremists except you think you have the right to murder others.

You are a pathetic piece of excrement.

CBS wrote:

"His wife burst into tears as the verdict was read."

He kidnapped and then murdered an Iraqi civilian, and then tried to cover it up.

I hope he rots in hell and I'd tell his wife the same to her face.

[brianbwb-2009]

they are not killing enuff of the islamic freaks who have vowed to kill every person that disagrees with them..that is a real great religion
Posted by citizenkane7

Right, they are killing thousands of innocent Islamic people who never took such a vow, and who regard the extremists as "Kaffirs", which means "people without a soul" and "Munafiq" meaning hypocrite.

Your advocacy of killing people for their religion makes you exactly one of those you describe as worthy of being killed.

[brianbwb-2009]

But there are mitigating issues that should also be considered, like many of you argue all the time, he wasn't suppose to be there in the first place!
Posted by tbweb

Agreed, the premeditated murder charges should be layed on Bush.

[feelfree1]

Related:

Re: "...with premeditated murder but the military jury - made up largely of men who had served in Iraq - struck the premeditation element from the verdict..."

www.philly.com/dailynews/national/20070803_Briefs.html

This seems to help to explain why this war criminal got away with such a light sentence. This Jury could hardly be seen by anyone as impartial.

rudy654,

Re: "So, he was the mastermind of the whole plot, yet it wasn't premeditation?"

I had the same tought. This trial looks like a bad joke to me.

[tbweb]

Many of you want your cake and eat it too! Many of you raise hell because the U.S. should not be in Iraq at all in the first place. Yet once there illegally as you all claim, rules are suppose to be followed and obeyed to the letter! This is like the stupid law that says if a criminal breaks into your house and is looking to rob or kill you, but trip over something that obstructs his passage through your property, the criminal can sue you because of the unsafe conditions! This is completely retarded in my view, but its the Law. You cannot even attack or harm the criminal if you have a escape or can exit safely from your own property, which is also retarded as well. What the Marine did was wrong, I completely agree with all of you, no argument there. But there are mitigating issues that should also be considered, like many of you argue all the time, he wasn't suppose to be there in the first place!

[rudy654-2009]

"He had been charged with premeditated murder but jurors struck premeditation from the verdict, meaning Hutchins no longer faced a mandatory life sentence.

Testimony from several of his comrades pointed to him as the mastermind of the plot to kidnap and kill a suspected insurgent."

So, he was the mastermind of the whole plot, yet it wasn't premeditation? Would that work in any other trial involving a plot to kidnap and kill?

[feelfree1]

Related:

"Colombian drug gangs recruit soldiers back from Iraq, witness says"

"Bogota - A former Colombian soldier held for passing on intelligence information to drug traffickers has told authorities that criminals contacted and recruited other former soldiers who served in Iraq, Colombian media said Friday."

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/americas/news/article_1338619.php/Colombian_drug_gangs_recruit_soldiers_back_from_Iraq_witness_says

No doubt, it is the disgraceful war criminal creeps that target innocent civilians who are lining up for these jobs, while their cowardly cheerleaders offer them hate-filled and ignorant words of encouragement.