Wash.-based soldier faces 5 murder charges in Iraq killings
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - The Army says murder charges have been filed against a Washington-based sergeant accused of killing five other soldiers in May 2009 at a mental health clinic in Iraq.
The charges against Sgt. John Russell were listed in a statement Friday from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He faces five charges of premeditated murder, one of aggravated assault and one of attempted murder.
If convicted of all charges, he could face the death penalty.
The charges result from an investigation into the shootings at the Camp Liberty Combat Stress Center near Baghdad on May 11, 2009.
Russell initially deployed to Iraq with the 370th Engineer Company, 54th Engineer Battalion from Bamberg, Germany. After arriving in Iraq, the battalion was assigned to a unit from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
No date for the court-martial has been set. Russell is being held in pretrial confinement at the base.
The charges against Sgt. John Russell were listed in a statement Friday from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He faces five charges of premeditated murder, one of aggravated assault and one of attempted murder.
If convicted of all charges, he could face the death penalty.
The charges result from an investigation into the shootings at the Camp Liberty Combat Stress Center near Baghdad on May 11, 2009.
Russell initially deployed to Iraq with the 370th Engineer Company, 54th Engineer Battalion from Bamberg, Germany. After arriving in Iraq, the battalion was assigned to a unit from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
No date for the court-martial has been set. Russell is being held in pretrial confinement at the base.
