Medic pleads guilty to killing fellow soldier

[Mike Baker]

Medic pleads guilty to killing fellow soldier
Updated Tue. Feb. 27 2007 12:14 PM ET

Associated Press

FORT BENNING Ga. -- An Army medic pleaded guilty Tuesday to the shooting death of a fellow soldier in Iraq during a night of heavy drinking.


Spc. Chris Rolan, 23, initially was charged with premeditated murder in the Nov. 16, 2005, death of Pvt. Dylan Paytas, 20, while the two were serving with Fort Benning's 3rd Infantry Brigade in Iraq. He pleaded guilty to unpremeditated murder and other charges under a deal with prosecutors.


The two soldiers had been arguing at Camp Warhorse in Baqubah, Iraq, when Rolan shot Paytas four times with his Army-issue 9mm pistol, according to witness testimony.


Both were assigned a combat team that helped lead the 2003 charge to Baghdad. Rolan, of Albuquerque, was in the 18th month of his second tour in Iraq at the time.


Rolan's court-martial had been set to begin Tuesday morning. Instead, he accepted the agreement to plead guilty to unpremeditated murder, violating a general order against drinking in Iraq, communicating a threat and reckless endangerment.


Officials said he could face life in prison when he is sentenced.


In addition to the charges involving Paytas, Rolan had been charged with assaulting and threatening to kill a 25-year-old soldier from Texas during an earlier drinking episode.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070227/Soldier_kills_soldier_070227/20070227?hub=World

 

[geo]

2 charges of attempting to kill?
Lovely.... lock him up, far, far away & throw away the key

 

[Mike Baker]

Don't you think that execution could be a sentence? Or can the military still do that?

 

[geo]

wouldn't that be easier on the fella?
though I guess you could shoot him, give him a first aid kit to fix himself up, shoot him again, etc, etc...

 

[Bigmac]

          Both Rolan and Ramsay both obviously have some serious mental defects. Strong case for PTSD or other anxiety disorder for Rolan as he was 18 Months into second tour in Iraq. Nothing worse for someone suffering high anxiety or anger issues to add alcohol to the mix. Still certainly not an excuse for murder. To kill someone is still a conscious choice so they both deserve to be punished accordingly.
          This does raise some concerns about tour lengths and mental health management of soldiers in combat operations.

 

[LineDoggie]

Didnt help to Be "Swigging Gin & Whiskey" all night either, you can bet the Liquid Courage played a significant factor in this.

 

[Trip_Wire]

Don't you think that execution could be a sentence? Or can the military still do that?

I doubt that the American military, will ever execute anybody for acts like this. We have become too PC for that to ever happen. If it was up to me, I would execute this person as well as the idiot from the 101st AM that threw the grenade in the tent with the officers awhile back.  :threat: