Friday, January 18, 2013
Following a two-week pre-trial appearance in November, Bales appeared again in military court today at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales appeared in a military court today for his arraignment, but his lawyers deferred entering a plea in the 2012 shooting spree in Afghanistan for which he's accused. I wasn't able to make it to the trial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, but The News Tribune's Adam Ashton provided some great coverage of the today's proceedings. (Click here to read his full report)
Monday, November 12, 2012
Seven witnesses who testified Friday night and Saturday morning answered questions via video teleconference from Afghanistan. One man who was shot in the neck described how a man - an American - shot at he and his family.
(Warning: The following story contains graphic material) JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA-Standing an arm’s length away, Haji Naim’s eyes fixed on the light shining from the gunman’s forehead. He didn’t recognize the man, who looked American. Moments before, the shooter had fired multiple times inside Naim’s neighbor’s home next door. Some of Naim’s family who lived in the compound rushed to his room. Women and children from next door ran screaming to Naim’s home to escape the bullets. But the gunman followed them by scaling and jumping from a wall that separated the two homes. In an instant, Naim found himself standing face to face with the man, the light beaming from his head. Naim didn’t see his weapon. “What are you doing? What are you …
Friday, November 9, 2012
Blood samples from two unidentified males and two unidentified females matched samples from Bales' items, including pants, underwear, gloves and boots
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD – A forensic biologist is testifying that blood samples taken from at least people four were found on items of accused shooter Robert Bales, accused of a March nighttime massacre The blood samples taken from two unidentified females and two unidentified males matched blood that was found on several of Bales' items after the shooting, including his pants, underwear, boot and gloves, according to the investigator from the Army's Criminal Investigation Laboratory. Some or all of the victims' blood matched blood samples found on the Lake Tapps' man's pistol and rifle, the investigator testified. Bales - JBLM staff sergeant - is accussed of going on a nighttime shooting spree March 11, during which 16 people died and …
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The two soldiers who apprehended the JBLM staff sergeant the night he allegedly conducted a nighttime massacre across two Afghan villages testified on the first day of his military court hearing.
The two soldiers approached the figure making its way toward Village Stability Platform Belambay in the early morning darkness of March 11. The man donned what appeared to be a tan shirt, a blue cape or blanket tied around his neck and pants that were covered in blood. “You (expletive) kidding me?” the man shouted at one of the soldiers as they approached. “I trusted you with my life. Did you rat me out?” The man who had been unaccounted for that morning at the base – Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales – complied with the soldiers’ orders to put down his weapons, of which he was carrying many. Later, the Lake Tapps man and Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, sounded less angry and more remorseful …
Aurora J.
6:54 pm on Friday, January 18, 2013
A precedent should be set, this was tragic. His leaders should be reprimanded for ignoring the PTSD stuff in his file. more ›