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(CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.) - Two years ago the nation was shocked to hear of Marines coming home from the battlefield in shackles. This is not how we treat our heroes, not when they are highly decorated, highly trained, and even more experienced. It was preposterous, we said, to charge Marines with murder for shooting the enemy. Isn’t that what we train them to do? Marine Sergeant Hutchins"Yet that is exactly what we did–and the seven Marines, together with their Navy corpsman, became known as the Pendleton 8. For the last two years, these men have seen their families disintegrate, their...

A retired Marine officer has denied charges that he spoke with Hutchins case convening authority Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland regarding the disposition of Sgt Larry Hutchins. In an email to me that was copied to several other parties, Major Herbert W. (Bill) Donahue, Jr., vehemently denied any involvement with Gen. Helland, and threatened legal action against me for “libel/slander and defamation of character.” Donahue did not stop there, however, and went on to accuse me of “impugning the integrity of several ethical attorneys,” among other things. The email basically degenerated into a personal attack, including several false accusations that are...

EXCLUSIVE: Pendleton 8 Exposed, Part 5: Autopsy and Pathology Report April 12, 2008 · As promised, here are the first of many documents to come in the Pendleton 8 case. This is the autopsy of a dead Iraqi that even the report admits is only “believed to be� Awad. You’ll see handwritten notes throughout the report, and these are the notes of Sgt Larry Hutchins himself.What makes this document so incredible is that there is no proof that the man autopsied is even the man the Marines killed that night. In fact, there is some evidence to show that the...

HAMDANIA: The PENDLETON 8: OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY WHEN COMPARED TO THE MEDIA ACCOUNTS. WHY? (A) WHAT WERE THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO THE PATROL THAT NIGHT? WERE THEY COMMON EVENTS OR WAS THIS A SPECIAL PATROL TO SEARCH OUT A SPECIFIC PERSON AS THE OFFICIAL CHARGES CLAIMED? The government's case was that the patrol lead by Sgt Hutchin's, Plymouth, Massachusetts, was after a specific insurgent named Saleh Gowad, and when he was not found at the location of his house, a random house was chosen and an innocent man was taken and killed. Make sure that you...

We pick up now where we left off in the timeline of events surrounding the incident that put far too many Marines in prison for killing the enemy. If you didn’t see Part 1 yesterday, you can find it here. January 18, 2007: Marine Pleads Guilty to Iraqi Kidnap, Murder “The Marine said ‘Someone’ fired a shot,” and then he and the others in the squad opened fire. Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III went up to the victim to make sure he was dead, [Cpl Trent] Thomas said. “Sgt. Hutchins shot Mr. Awad with a three-round burst to the head...

To All, After two years, the real story of the Pendleton 8 is finally coming out. A select few are in possession of the documents that show not only the actual events of that night in Hamdania, but the trail of corruption, incompetence, and blatant disregard for the lives of Marines under fire that resulted in unjust imprisonment and convictions or plea bargains for so many men. It's all on paper, it's all verified, and it's all coming out. The documents and the story they tell will be appearing on Euphoric Reality beginning today with the first installment: Part 1...

The letter below is from one of the Marines whose team I am on who have been involved with the Hamdania Incident, both in fundraising and exposure to the public of information that the media has refused to cover, and that includes all conservative media like FOX News, NEWSMAX, World Net Daily, Ollie North, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Howie Carr. Some of them can be forgiven due to the large amount of e-mails received daily, but others were given extensive telephone interviews, with details, and some of them outright refused to consider this as an issue because it would not...

There is a documentary being made on the abuses that the 7 Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman faced when accused of Murder in 2006, from an operation in Iraq. Below is a timeline of events and links to the documentary teasers.

FREEPER Tim Harrington, Sgt HMM-165, has been personally involved with the families of the accused Marines of the Hamdania Case, (PENDLETON 8 ) and Haditha. DUring this time, Tim has been in constant contact with his state rep, William Delahunt, D-MA 10th district. Mr Delahunt is the representative of Sgt Hutchins who was found guilty in his court martial for the charge of murdering a civilian in Iraq. This issue is important because it has shown a level of corruption and perjury in the NCIS system and specifically 2 individuals that are common to the Hamadania and Haditha cases. It...

MUKILTEO — Robert Pennington and his father, Terry Pennington, ascended a pair of tall stepladders in place along a wall of the Electroimpact company. They fussed with ties that held a 12-foot banner proclaiming: "Free Rob Pennington." When the banner fluttered to the ground, an appreciative crowd of about 150 cheered. It was a homecoming for the 22-year-old U.S. Marine.

NORTH COUNTY ---- Jury decisions and a powerful general's grants of clemency have signaled that Marines may be reluctant to jail service members accused of war crimes in Iraq. Few saw it coming when the military justice system granted freedom to most of the eight Camp Pendleton troops who admitted to kidnapping and killing an Iraqi man in Hamdania last year. Former Marine prosecutor Thad Coakley was among those caught off guard. "The sentences were well below what is expected for the guilty findings for a group that decide to kidnap and execute a guy," said Coakley, who has extensive...

Aug-09-2007 05:40 Advocates Call Iraq Marine's Court Martial and Conviction Into Question Tim King Salem-News.comFormer Marines investigating the case say there is far more than meets the eye; the court martial is currently under appeal and review. Photo of Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins with his lawyerCourtesy: DoD (SALEM, Ore.) - A Marine convicted for murder in Iraq is receiving increasing public support by those who believe he is not guilty. Marine Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins has been sentenced to 15-years for the killings in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. Friends say Hutchins is innocent Advocates say a number of the government's...

Pvt. Robert Pennington CAMP PENDLETON ---- The seventh of eight Marines jailed for the execution of an Iraqi man left the brig Friday afternoon, freed by a Camp Pendleton general. Pvt. Robert Pennington walked free after Lt. Gen. James Mattis granted him clemency, slashing the remaining seven years off Pennington's eight-year sentence. Pennington struck a lengthy plea deal earlier this year, admitting his role in a plot that left an Iraqi man dead on the side of a road in the rural village of Hamdania on April 26, 2006. His family said Friday they were overjoyed with the decision...

Cpl Rob Pennington is now a free man. He recently took a plea bargain for a murder charge, testified against his fellow Marines, and is not free. Only Sgt Hutchin's is in Jail. 8 Men, all charged with Murder, Kidnapping, Assault, whatever...now one is left in jail, the rest are free. That doesn't happen if they had evidence.

The family is devastated. Sht Hutchins is reuced in rank to private, sentenced to 15 years Leavenworth, forfiture of all pay and allowances, and upon release is dishonorably discharged.

PENDLETON 8 Marine freed after being convicted. CPL MAGINCALDA IS A FREE MAN, HE WAS GIVEN AN HONORABLE DISCHARGE, ALL PAY, ALL BACK PAY AND BENEFITS. more to follow

As many of you know, Freepers have been involved in the legal defenses of the Marines in the Haditha case and the Hamdania case, otherwise known as THE PENDLETON 8. I have received some new information just now on a documentary that is being made on the Pendleton 8 Marines. We have tried to get the mainstream media to pay attention to us, and for over a year, NONE have taken the lead. Even last week, with the 2 minute reference made by Roger Hedgecock, the main stream of America has no idea what is going on. Here is the...

CAMP PENDLETON -- A Marine sergeant accused of being the architect of a plot to kidnap and kill an Iraqi man was in court Tuesday as his attorneys battled for permission to let his jury hear classified military information they say is related to his case. At issue is not the classified nature of the material -- if necessary, the jury could be made up of Marines with security clearance. Rather, the question before a military judge is whether the classified information is relevant in the case of the defendant, Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins against charges that include murder, kidnapping and...

CAMP PENDLETON -- Jurors in the upcoming trial of a Marine corporal accused of killing an Iraqi civilian will be allowed to view computerized aerial maps from the popular Google Earth program to help them see the geographic layout of the scene, a military judge ruled Thursday. "I believe these (images) may actually help the members understand what happened that night," Lt. Col. David M. Jones said. Jones' ruling came during a hearing centered on pretrial issues for Cpl. Trent Thomas, one of eight Camp Pendleton troops accused in the April 26, 2006 slaying of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in the...

Attorneys for the highest-ranking man charged with wrongdoing arising out of the slaying of 24 Iraqi civilians in 2005 are asking Navy Secretary Donald Winter to conduct an investigation of how his agents treated Marine witnesses and suspects. "There are disturbing reports that American servicemen were treated like POWs by their own government," said Richard Thompson, president of the Thomas More Law Center, a Michigan group defending Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani. "This entire investigation has been nothing but a political witch hunt instigated by insurgent propaganda operatives, anti-war media and anti-war politicians." Chessani is charged with dereliction of duty and...

On Wednesday night, at 10PM Eastern, 9 Central, there will be a live blogtalk internet broadcast with 3 of the families of the Marines accused in the Pendleton 8 (Hamdania) incident. This is of the highest importance due to today's and otherrecent revelations of NCIS corruption and intimidation of witnesses and falsification of evidence in court martials.

MANOMET - Kathleen and Lawrence Hutchins Jr. have reached that point in life when things are supposed to be a little easier. Marine Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III, 22, of Plymouth, shown leaving his arraignment hearing Dec. 7 with his wife, Reyna Hutchins, is charged with kidnapping and killing an Iraqi civilian last April 26 in Hamdania, Iraq. (Denis Poroy/Associated Press) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Behind them are decades of hard work. They raised two sons now in their 20s, paid off a mortgage, and after nearly 30 years of marriage still revel in one another's company. It is supposed to be a time...

CAMP PENDLETON -- A Marine sergeant accused of leading his platoon in the slaying of an Iraqi civilian last year allegedly told a government investigator he fired three bullets into the man's head immediately after conducting a "dead check" and discovering the man his squad had just shot multiple times was still alive. Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent James Connolly testified Tuesday that Sgt. Lawrence Hutchins III offered the information without any explanation beyond saying the victim was struggling to breathe when he fired the shots.Connolly's testimony came at the opening of a two-day motion hearing for Hutchins, who...

Attorney says agents made up assault case evidence By: MARK WALKER - Staff Writer CAMP PENDLETON ---- A hearing for a Marine officer accused of assaulting an Iraqi was halted Friday after a defense attorney alleged that Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents fabricated portions of statements that led to the charges against the lieutenant. Attorney David Sheldon made the assertion in a Camp Pendleton courtroom on the second day of an Article 32 hearing for 2nd Lt. Nathan Phan. The Sacramento-area native is charged with assaulting three Iraqis and filing a false report in an incident that took place on...

Pendleton 8 murder case could be affected The officer presiding over the Article 32 hearing of Marine Lt. Nathan Phan, accused of assaulting an Iraqi last spring, has “called a halt” to the hearing until three investigators from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service can be brought to court and questioned by both sides of the courtroom about the possibility that they fabricated evidence in an effort to convict Phan on the assault charges. The accusations were made by defense attorney David Sheldon during testimony by witness LCPL Christopher Faulkner. Faulker told the court that a statement the law enforcement agency...

SAN DIEGO — Military prosecutors are close to charging some of the Marines involved in the deaths of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha last year, the Marine Corps said Tuesday. It is the first time the Corps has said it will file charges in the deaths, which included unarmed women and children and followed the killing of a Marine by a roadside bomb in the town...

The following is a letter from one of the Marines being held in Camp Pendleton, one of the Pendleton 8. Chip in and visit the websites listed on this link http://www.pendleton8.net

SAN DIEGO -- An attorney representing one of eight men accused of kidnapping and murdering an unarmed civilian in the Iraqi village of Hamdania last spring raised a series of concerns Monday night about the fairness of the military justice system, during a forum hosted by the University of San Diego School of Law. Participating in the panel discussion were former military prosecutor Kevin Vienna, former military judge Robert Wities and defense attorney Joseph Casas, who is representing Encinitas resident and Marine Pfc. John Jodka III, one of seven Marines and one Navy corpsman charged in the April 26 death...

CAMP PENDLETON, California (AP) - A Marine charged with kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man last spring assaulted another man in a separate incident because he made "disparaging remarks" about Marines while in Abu Ghraib prison, a military prosecutor said. The comment was the first public glimpse into an alleged April 10 incident uncovered during the probe into the death of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad on April 26. Six other Marines have been charged in the murder case. Dressed in a short-sleeved khaki service uniform, Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. deferred making a plea Friday to the six charges...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- More plea deals may soon emerge in the case of seven Marines facing murder and related charges in the April shooting death of an Iraqi man, attorneys said Wednesday. "I know that there are other people talking," said Jane Siegel, a civilian attorney for the lowest-ranking and least-experienced defendant, Pfc. John Jodka III. The pace of plea discussions has picked up in recent days, fueled by the deal reached by Navy Petty Officer Melson Bacos last week, other sources close to the case said. The next official development takes place Friday, when the arraignment of Lance Cpl....

Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, flanked by his civilian and military lawyers, walked to his court-martial yesterday at Camp Pendleton, where he told the military judge, "What possessed all of us (that day), I do not know." Frustrated by the repeated release of a suspected terrorist in Iraq, a Camp Pendleton unit decided to enforce its own brand of justice with an execution. So said Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos during his court-martial yesterday at Camp Pendleton. He detailed a sophisticated murder plot that ended with Marines shooting Hashim Ibrahim Awad, a former police officer...

LOS ANGELES -- During two tours of duty in Iraq, Navy corpsman Melson J. Bacos said he experienced everything combat had to offer -- fire fights with insurgents, soldiers dying in his arms, thoughts of whether he'd live another day. Now he's got another unnerving assignment. On Friday, the 21 year old is scheduled to give testimony that military prosecutors hope will help them convict seven Marines accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man in the town of Hamdania. Bacos, a medic who patrolled with the Marines, will have similar charges dropped in exchange for testimony during his court...

CAMP PENDLETON ---- A Navy corpsman pleaded guilty this morning to two charges for his role in the killing of a 52-year-old civilian in the Iraqi village of Hamdania last spring. Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson Bacos pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kidnapping during a court-martial conducted in a base courtroom before Marine Col. Steven Folsom. Charges of premeditated murder and related offenses were dropped in exchange for the guilty pleas. Bacos is the first of the eight troops from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment's Kilo Company to plead guilty to an offense arising out of the April 26 slaying...

During two tours of duty in Iraq, Navy corpsman Melson J. Bacos said, he experienced fire fights with insurgents, soldiers dying in his arms, thoughts of whether he'd live another day. Now he has another unnerving assignment. On Friday, the 21-year-old is scheduled to give testimony that military prosecutors hope will help them convict seven Marines accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man in the town of Hamdania. Bacos, a medic who patrolled with the Marines, will have similar charges dropped in exchange for testimony during his court-martial, his attorney, Jeremiah Sullivan III, told The Associated Press. The military...

NORTH COUNTY ---- The families of eight Camp Pendleton men accused of kidnapping and killing an Iraqi man continue their push to raise money to pay for the men's defense. Donations for the group some have dubbed the "Pendleton 8" have come in from all over the country, sometimes in $10 trickles and other times in heavier outpourings, the families and others say. But the pace of the donations is slowing. Thus far, donations for the legal defense of the men appear to have reached at least $100,000, although that amount is not divided equally among the men. The number...

A Navy corpsman has reportedly reached a deal that would drop a murder charge and allow him to plead guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy in the April death of an Iraqi man, an attorney for one of the men's co-defendants said Tuesday evening. Special Report The reported agreement for Petty Officer Melson Bacos would require he serve no more than 12 months in the brig and would allow the Wisconsin native to stay in the service after that punishment is served, attorney Victor Kelley said. Attempts to reach Marine Corps officials for comment were not immediately successful. A deal would...

A Marine pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and kidnapping charges stemming from the death of a civilian man in rural Iraq. Pfc. John J. Jodka III is one of seven Marines and a Navy corpsman charged with kidnapping and murdering 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad last April in the town of Hamdania. He was the first of the eight to be arraigned. The arraignment for Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda was set for later Wednesday and a third Marine is expected to be arraigned next week. Preliminary hearings for the other troops are expected in coming weeks. At his arraignment, Jodka...

Today, in Johnstown, BOOT MURTHA!!

Earlier, I posted an article proclaiming Ted Kennedy's response to one of the families of the 7 Marines and Corpsman known as the Pendleton 8. This letter is printed with the full permission of the family. I have finally received a copy of the letter and it is posted below.

hearing officer is recommending that the Encinitas Marine accused of kidnapping and killing an Iraqi man face court-martial ---- but the officer's report also highlights weaknesses in the prosecution's case, the accused man's defense attorney said Thursday morning. The officer's recommendation is based on evidence presented to him Aug. 30 at a pretrial hearing for Pfc. John J. Jodka III. Col. Paul Pugliese, the investigating officer overseeing Jodka's hearing, found this week that there was enough evidence to send the 20-year-old Jodka to trial, according to Jodka attorneys, Joseph Casas. Jodka is one of seven Marines and a Navy corpsman...

SAN DIEGO An investigating officer has recommended a court martial for a Marine accused of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi civilian, the troop's attorney said Wednesday. The officer reviewed evidence from a preliminary hearing Aug. 30 and recommended this week that there was probable cause for Pfc. John J. Jodka III to stand trial, according to one of Jodka's attorneys, Joseph Casas. Seven Marines and one Navy corpsman are accused of kidnapping 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad, taking him to a roadside hole and shooting him to death April 26 in Hamdania, west of Baghdad. The recommendation followed an Article 32...

By taking the Pendleton 8 Marines directly from frontline combat, separating them and interrogating them, the military has not followed its own policy. It has knowingly jeopardized the possible short- and long-term mental health of the accused. Additionally, due to the nature of COS -- and the intensity which comes with being on the front lines -- the military knew, or at least should have known, that the results obtained through interrogating the Pendleton 8 without first going through the mandatory decompression stages would result in unreliable information. Over the course of the next 10 days, Cpl. Magincalda and Pfc....

Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. CAMP PENDLETON ---- A trio of Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents testified Tuesday morning about how they went about interrogating a Marine lance corporal and other members of a Camp Pendleton platoon accused of killing an Iraqi man earlier this year. The pretrial hearing for Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. lasted a little more than an hour but did not reveal much of the substance of the prosecution's case against the seven Marines and Navy corpsman from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment. The troops are accused of killing 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad...

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - The government will not seek the death penalty for a Marine Corps corporal who is among eight troops charged with murder and other crimes in the shooting of a civilian Iraqi man, a military prosecutor told a hearing officer Tuesday. Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr., 21, is accused in the killing of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad last April in Hamdania, west of Baghdad. Shumate is suspected of firing his M-16 at Awad, then lying to investigators about what had happened, according to charging documents. Military prosecutor Lt. Col. John Baker's recommendation against a possible death...

OCEANSIDE, Calif. - Eager to see the world and looking for adventure, Jerry E. Shumate Jr. joined the Marine Corps straight out of high school. Now the 21-year-old lance corporal is in the brig. Shumate is accused, with eight others, of kidnapping and murdering an Iraqi man in Hamdania, west of Baghdad. His preliminary hearing was scheduled to begin Tuesday. Shumate, along with six other Marines and a Navy Corpsman are accused of entering 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad's house on April 26, kidnapping him and taking him to a roadside hole. There, prosecutors say, several troops shot him. Shumate fired...

The mother of a Marine corporal charged with the murder of an Iraqi along with seven other servicemen says Navy prosecutors are trying to frame the "Pendleton 8" – denying them access to evidence, attempting to coerce confessions and treating them more harshly than terrorist prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Leanne Magincalda, mother of Cpl. Marshall Magincalda, blamed leaks by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., for creating a climate of witch-hunt hysteria surrounding the case, leading to isolation and harassment of the incarcerated soldiers. She told WND the parents of the eight have seen most of the evidence against their sons, and...

NORTH COUNTY -- A pretrial hearing starting Tuesday for one of eight Camp Pendleton troops charged with murdering an Iraqi is expected to feature two days of testimony, a defense attorney said Wednesday. The Article 32 hearing for Lance Cpl. Jerry E. Shumate Jr. will focus on his alleged role in the April 26 killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad in the Iraqi village of Hamdania. Shumate's attorney, Steven Immel, said he did not plan to take the same route that attorneys for two other accused troops did last week when they agreed to let hearing officers consider written reports only...

The link above is to a story by the LA Times, which does not allow us to post their stuff. In the article, it claims that two of the accused Marines of the Pendleton 8, Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III and Cpl. Trent D. Thomas, admitted to killing the Iraqi man in question as an act of murder, not combat. The LA Times or the Marine Corps representative who was quoted, Capt. Nicholas L. Gannon, has deliberately misquoted the statements of these men. The Comments below are those of Cpl Marshall Magincalda's mother, one of the Pendleton 8, with an...

Alleged confessions appear to form the crux of the government's case against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman charged with murder, kidnapping and other crimes in an Iraqi man's slaying last April. Defense attorneys challenge the validity of the statements and say without them the government's case is baseless. Details about the prosecution's case emerged Wednesday during preliminary hearings for two of eight men accused in the shooting death of 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad in the village of Hamdania. At Marine Cpl. Marshall L. Magincalda's hearing, prosecutors submitted a thick packet of evidence and pointed to three documents they say...

The opening pair of hearings into charges that Camp Pendleton troops executed an Iraqi man produced a united defense, tantalizing evidence and a surprise announcement yesterday. The unexpected development involved Marine Pfc. John Jodka III, 20, of Encinitas. Near the close of Jodka's hearing, prosecutor Lt. Col. John Baker said the government would not seek the death penalty against him. “It's our position that a capital referral is inappropriate,” Baker said during the session, which was held on the base. “When we heard that, I looked over at Jodka and could tell a huge weight was taken off his shoulders,”...