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Marine sentenced over Iraq murder Marine sentenced over Iraq murder
(30 minutes later)
A US marine has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian during a failed search for an insurgent by the unit he led.A US marine has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian during a failed search for an insurgent by the unit he led.
Sgt Lawrence Hutchins was convicted of unpremeditated murder for the killing of Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, during a raid near Baghdad last year. Sgt Lawrence Hutchins was also dishonourably discharged and demoted to private by a court martial jury.
Another member of the unit, Cpl Marshall Magincalda, was convicted of conspiracy to murder. The sentence came a day after he was found guilty of unpremeditated murder and conspiracy to murder.
He was sentenced to time served and demoted to private. Hashim Ibrahim Awad, 52, was shot dead during a raid in Hamdaniya, near Baghdad, last year.
Cpl Magincalda, who was also convicted of theft and housebreaking, has already served 448 days in custody. Prosecutors said the unit, led by Sgt Hutchins, had abducted Mr Awad from his house when it could not find a suspected insurgent who lived next door.
Both were members of an infantry unit which shot dead Mr Awad in Hamdaniya on 26 April 2006. HAMDANIYA DEFENDANTS Sgt Lawrence G Hutchins: Guilty of murder, conspiracy, making a false statement, theft; 15 years in prisonL Cpl Robert Pennington: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping; eight years in prison, demotedL Cpl Tyler Jackson: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, making a false statement, housebreaking; 21 months in prison, demotedCpl Marshall Magincalda: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, theft, housebreaking; 448 days in prison, demotedPetty Officer Melson Bacos: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, making a false statement; One year in prison, demotedCpl Trent Thomas: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping; demoted, dishonourably dischargedL Cpl Jerry Shumate: Guilty of aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice; 21 months in prison, demotedPte John Jodka: Guilty of aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice; 18 months in prison, demoted class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/5105284.stm">Other US investigations
Release The Iraqi civilian was then taken to a ditch and shot in the head at least 10 times. The unit later placed a rifle and shovel by his body to make it seem as if he had been an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.
Cpl Magincalda was acquitted of premeditated murder and kidnapping by a jury at a court martial at Camp Pendleton, California, on Wednesday. Another member of the unit, Cpl Marshall Magincalda, was convicted of conspiracy to murder by the court martial at Camp Pendleton, California.
HAMDANIYA DEFENDANTS Sgt Lawrence G Hutchins: Guilty of premeditated murder, conspiracy, making a false statement, theft; 15 years in prisonL Cpl Robert Pennington: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping; eight years in prison, demotedL Cpl Tyler Jackson: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, making a false statement, housebreaking; 21 months in prison, demotedCpl Marshall Magincalda: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, theft, housebreaking; 448 days in prison, demotedPetty Officer Melson Bacos: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, making a false statement; One year in prison, demotedCpl Trent Thomas: Guilty of conspiracy to murder, kidnapping; demoted, dishonourably dischargedL Cpl Jerry Shumate: Guilty of aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice; 21 months in prison, demotedPte John Jodka: Guilty of aggravated assault and conspiracy to obstruct justice; 18 months in prison, demoted class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/5105284.stm">Other US investigations He was freed after being sentenced to the 448 days he had already served in custody, and demoted to private.
He was freed on Friday shortly after the jury ruled he should serve 448 days in prison - the number he has already served in custody. Cpl Magincalda was also convicted of theft and burglary, but acquitted of premeditated murder and kidnapping.
Outside the courtroom, Cpl Magincalda's mother and grandmother wept as they embraced.
"We can take him home. God answered our prayers," his grandmother, Wynoma Leesch, said.
Another member of the unit, Cpl Trent Thomas, was acquitted of murder last month, but convicted of conspiracy to murder and kidnapping.Another member of the unit, Cpl Trent Thomas, was acquitted of murder last month, but convicted of conspiracy to murder and kidnapping.
He escaped a prison sentence but was reduced in rank and dishonourably discharged.He escaped a prison sentence but was reduced in rank and dishonourably discharged.
Five of the eight soldiers originally implicated in the murder entered plea bargain deals with prosecutors for their testimony and have already been sentenced to between one and eight years in prison.Five of the eight soldiers originally implicated in the murder entered plea bargain deals with prosecutors for their testimony and have already been sentenced to between one and eight years in prison.
Prosecutors said the unit had abducted Mr Awad from his house when it could not find a suspected insurgent who lived next door.
He was then taken to a ditch and shot in the head at least 10 times. The unit later placed a rifle and shovel by his body to make it seem as if he had been an insurgent planting a roadside bomb.
The case is one of several in which US troops have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians.The case is one of several in which US troops have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians.