| May 29, 2008 Prosecutor: Marine lied to cover up Iraqi murders
|
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - A Marine intelligence officer lied
to investigators to help cover up a squad's killings of 24 Iraqis,
including women and children, a prosecutor said Thursday during
opening statements in the officer's court-martial.
First Lt. Andrew Grayson is the first of three defendants in the
Haditha, Iraq, killings to go to trial.
The prosecutor, Lt. Col. Paul H. Atterbury, also told the jury
of seven officers there are key undisputed facts in the case: A
roadside bomb killed a Marine and wounded two others and two hours
later the squad's actions resulted in the deaths of the 24 Iraqis.
Authorities maintain four Marines killed the Iraqis shortly
after the roadside bomb hit a convoy. Four commissioned officers
had faced charges of failing to investigate or covering up the
incident.
After the bombing, investigators say, Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich
and a squad member shot five men by a car at the scene. Wuterich
then allegedly ordered his squad into several houses, where they
cleared rooms with grenades and gunfire, killing unarmed civilians.
Grayson, who was not at the scene of the Nov. 19, 2005,
killings, is accused of telling a sergeant to delete photographs of
the dead from his digital camera.
Four enlisted Marines were initially charged with murder and
four officers were charged with failing to investigate the deaths. />
Charges were dropped against five of them but remain against
Grayson, Wuterich and a third Marine.
Grayson says he did nothing wrong. He rejected a plea deal under
which his charges would have been dismissed in exchange for an
admission that he covered up the killings, his attorney has said.
Jury selection concluded Wednesday after prosecutors and defense
attorneys questioned potential jurors over their knowledge of the
case based on news reports.
Grayson, of Springboro, Ohio, is charged with two counts of
making false official statements, two counts of trying to
fraudulently separate from service, and one count each of attempt
to deceive by making false statements and obstruction of justice by
trying to impede an investigation.
If convicted of all charges, he faces a maximum of 25 years in
prison, forfeiture of all pay and dismissal from the Marines.
Wuterich, of Meriden, Conn., faces voluntary manslaughter and
other charges. Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani of Rangely, Colo., is
charged with dereliction of duty and violation of a lawful order on
allegations he mishandled the aftermath of the shooting deaths.
Chessani was a battalion commander.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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