Posted on 02/01/2011 10:58:17 AM PST by jazusamo
A Fort Carson soldier will be court-martialed for the murder for an Afghan prisoner, despite claims by his defense attorney that he’s too mentally ill for trial.
Pfc. David Lawrence’s case was referred to a general court martial Tuesday by Fort Carson commander Brig. Gen. James Doty. The 20-year-old soldier faces a maximum punishment of life in prison in the Oct. 17 shooting death of an alleged Taliban leader known by the pseudonym Mullah Mohebullah.
“The date for the general court martial has not yet been determined,” Fort Carson said in a news release.
During a December evidence hearing in the case, Lawrence often fell asleep, which his civilian attorney, James Culp, attributed to anti-psychotic drugs prescribed to the soldier by Army psychiatrists.
On Oct. 17, Lawrence was serving at an outpost north of the Afghan city of Kandahar when he was sent to guard Mohebullah, who had been captured by soldiers from Fort Carson’s 1st Brigade Combat Team earlier in the day.
During his guard shift, prosecutors said, Lawrence entered Mohebullah’s cell and fired a single round from his rifle into the Afghan’s face. The case drew worldwide attention after Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued a blistering condemnation of the killing a day after Mohebullah died.
After the shooting, Lawrence was sent to another Afghan base for psychiatric care, then commanders in Afghanistan to send him home for treatment.
After the December hearing, Lawrence was admitted to a mental hospital, where family members said he was treated for schizophrenia.
The soldier’s father, Brett Lawrence told the Associated Press on Tuesday that Army doctors found Lawrence was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the killing and didn't realize his alleged actions were wrong.
Soldier's trial has broader implications for military's treatment of mental health
I appreciate the time you took to look that up and post it for whatever good it will do.
This whole case stinks of retaliation for the killing of a Taliban leader that no doubt would have paid Karsai dearly for his release. It seems when Karsai gets pissed there are those here that seek retaliation to appease him. It’s a sad day for our Army leaders and the JAG Corps.
This story came from the AP about an hour ago:
“Docs: Soldier was schizophrenic at time of slaying”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020102708.html
Thanks much for linking this article, TOTA.
There’s a lot more info in it and I certainly question the decision of Brig. Gen. James Doty to go ahead with the prosecution.
Evidently he feels he knows more about mental health than two Army and one civilian psychiatrists. I would wonder if it was he that really made that decision.
Putting Pfc. Lawrence and his family through this court-martial is not right given the circumstances.
Thanks again and good “seeing” you again.
what a intellectual tour de force you are.
even your namecalling is third class.
Ha! The key to good communication is to make yourself understood to whomever you’re addressing as simply as possible, you understood precisely.
Just when you think shoving your head up your ass has reached it’s limit, that no one could go any farther, someone steps up and raises the bar.
OUTSTANDING JOB WAAAHBERT!
I gotta go.
I’m about to give birth to psychotic episode.
Damn.
Looks like it may be twins...
So, your liberal heart bleeds for this murdering savage, while you have not one ounce of concern for this soldier.
You and your kind make me want to vomit.
Thank you, Yehuda, it will be much appreciated by the family.
In past wars American soldiers would have plugged this louse on the battle field, even with his hands up in the air, and nobody, not even liberals, would have given a damn. May I ask you why you're losing sleep over the "untimely" death of this sub human beast? And do you really think he should have a trial that's not a hard core military tribunal? If O.J. can walk, so could this demon. I really do hate to sound so harsh, but when a nation begins turning on their own warriors for killing the enemy, especially pigs like Taliban LEADERS, it worries me. We have far too many brave warriors, great Americans, who are rotting in prisons for killing the scum they were trained and sent off to kill.
Well, the subhuman beast was in our custody, maybe awaiting debriefing. Maybe he would have dropped a dime on his friends, saving other GIs’ lives. But the objection I have is that the PFC violated regs. Like it or not, armies require discipline and adherence to orders in order to function, otherwize they degenerate into a armed mob.
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