U.S. marine found guilty at retrial in 2006 murder of Iraqi civilian
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 June 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, U.S. marine found guilty at retrial in 2006 murder of Iraqi civilian, 18 June 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55b5f3dac.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 18, 2015
A U.S. Marine has been found guilty of murder in the 2006 slaying of a disabled Iraqi civilian, a killing that prosecutors said was motivated by a desire to send a message to a resistant Iraqi village.
Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins III was initially convicted of murder, larceny, and making false statements over the killing. His conviction was later overturned.
In the retrial on June 17, Hutchins was convicted on three out of four counts, including murder.
Prosecutors said Hutchins led a squad of Marines whose mission was to stop militants' use of improvised bombs in the Iraqi village of Hamdania.
When they could not find the suspected bomber, they went to a nearby house and took a disabled former police officer who was not a suspect, witnesses said.
Hutchins and other Marines shot 52-year-old Hashim Ibrahim Awad, a father of 11 and grandfather of four, and placed an AK-47 and a shovel next to the corpse to suggest he had been planting a bomb, they said.
Hutchins faces a possible sentence of more than four years.
Based on reporting by Reuters and the Los Angeles Times
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
