People can get away with murder here because of upbringing, or domestic abuse but combatants aren’t allowed some consideration in a combat situation. I don’t know all the facts of this case, and this article isn’t exactly clear. More like a part 2 and assumes the reader has been following the case from the beginning, but I am questioning the rational behind this murder charge. Improper conduct? Maybe, murder? I don’t know.
The article is part of an ongoing series. There’s more info at the links above, but here’s the 411...
Sgt Ryan Weemer got the stuffing shot out of him in Fallujah along with other members of Kilo Co., 3/1.
He left the Corps when his stint was up and applied for a job with the Secret Service. As part of the screening process, he was asked whether he’d taken part in unlawful killings in Iraq. Weemer replied, “Well, there was this one time...” And he proceeded to tell a hazy story.
Secret Service alerted NCIS and Weemer unwisely waived his legal rights and spoke to them. This article is about the result of that interrogation, or as the government calls it a “confession”.
Weemer was recalled to duty so he could be prosecuted under military law.
NCIS agents also spoke to another Marine sergeant, Jermaine Nelson, under similar circumstances and have a “confession” from him as well.
A third Marine, Jose Nazario, was implicated. He had already lefr the Corps and so is being charged in civilian court.
Both Nelson and Weemer have recanted their “confessions” and refused to testify against him.
Nazario will be tried in federal court during the third week in August. Nelson will be court martialed in December. Weemer only recently had an Article 32 hearing and a court martial date hasn’t been set.
It’s going to be a strange murder trial. There’s no body, no forensic evidence, not even a complaint about a missing person. And no witness testimony aside from these dodgy “confessions”.