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Sixth western Wash.-based soldier charged in Afghan murder case

Jeremy Morlock, right, poses with Staff Sgt. David Bram with weapons that they have allegedly taken from dead Afghans.
Rolling Stone
Jeremy Morlock, right, poses with Staff Sgt. David Bram with weapons that they have allegedly taken from dead Afghans.

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kplu/local-kplu-969254.mp3

The Army has charged a sixth soldier based in western Washington in the murder of three Afghan civilians last year. The accused soldiers have become known as the "Kill Team" for allegedly killing unarmed Afghans for sport.

Twenty-seven-year-old Staff Sgt. David Bram of Vacaville, Calif., already faced a series of lesser charges in the case. The new charges include solicitation to commit premeditated murder, engaging in murder scenario conversations with subordinates and planting evidence near the body of an Afghan civilian.

If convicted of all charges, Bram could face 21 years in prison.

Maj. Kathleen Turner is an Army spokeswoman at Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma. She says the additional charges arose from new information uncovered in the case.

"Even though the trials have been started, this is an ongoing investigation and as things come forward, we'll continue to either bring additional charges or to ensure that justice is served and that we're being as transparent as possible."

Turner says the Army will next convene an Article 32 hearing – the military equivalent of a grand jury.

 

Copyright 2011 Northwest News Network

Inland Northwest Correspondent Jessica Robinson reports from the Northwest News Network's bureau in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. From the politics of wolves to mining regulation to small town gay rights movements, Jessica covers the economic, demographic and environmental trends that are shaping places east of the Cascades.