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U.S. soldier sentenced to 25 years for killing Iraqi teen after gay sex
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A U.S. National Guardsman who pleaded guilty to killing a 17-year-old Iraqi said he shot the young man 11 times after they had sex in a guard tower, a North Carolina newspaper reported Saturday, citing court-martial records.
Pte. Federico Daniel Merida, 21, pleaded guilty to murder without premeditation and other charges during a court martial in Iraq in September.
Merida was sentenced Sept. 25 to 25 years in prison and reduced in rank and will be dishonourably discharged. He is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., a Leavenworth spokeswoman said.
U.S. army officials at Forward Operating Base Danger, where the court martial was held in Iraq, had withheld details of the case.
However, the News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh reported Saturday that records said Merida and the Iraqi were on guard duty May 11 in a tower on the perimeter of an army camp near Tikrit in northern Iraq. At about 10:30 p.m. local time, Merida shot the teen 11 times with his carbine.
Merida first told investigators the teen demanded money at gunpoint. Later, he said he killed the boy because he forced him to have sex. In a third interview, Merida said he was angry after the two had consensual sex.
Merida also pleaded guilty to two counts of giving false statements.
Merida apologized to the victim's family during the court martial, records said.
"He was a son, a brother, someone very important to them," Merida said.
"I took someone they loved and cared for."
Merida, who was born in Veracruz, Mexico, has a wife and son.
He was a member of the 113th Field Artillery Battalion's Battery B, based in Monroe, N.C.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/Iraq/2004/12/18/789001-ap.html
***
In Canada we can only send soldiers to military prison for 2 years less a day correct? Were someone here to be sentenced to 25 years would they do 2 years at club ed then 23 at a some federal prison?
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A U.S. National Guardsman who pleaded guilty to killing a 17-year-old Iraqi said he shot the young man 11 times after they had sex in a guard tower, a North Carolina newspaper reported Saturday, citing court-martial records.
Pte. Federico Daniel Merida, 21, pleaded guilty to murder without premeditation and other charges during a court martial in Iraq in September.
Merida was sentenced Sept. 25 to 25 years in prison and reduced in rank and will be dishonourably discharged. He is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., a Leavenworth spokeswoman said.
U.S. army officials at Forward Operating Base Danger, where the court martial was held in Iraq, had withheld details of the case.
However, the News & Observer newspaper of Raleigh reported Saturday that records said Merida and the Iraqi were on guard duty May 11 in a tower on the perimeter of an army camp near Tikrit in northern Iraq. At about 10:30 p.m. local time, Merida shot the teen 11 times with his carbine.
Merida first told investigators the teen demanded money at gunpoint. Later, he said he killed the boy because he forced him to have sex. In a third interview, Merida said he was angry after the two had consensual sex.
Merida also pleaded guilty to two counts of giving false statements.
Merida apologized to the victim's family during the court martial, records said.
"He was a son, a brother, someone very important to them," Merida said.
"I took someone they loved and cared for."
Merida, who was born in Veracruz, Mexico, has a wife and son.
He was a member of the 113th Field Artillery Battalion's Battery B, based in Monroe, N.C.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/Iraq/2004/12/18/789001-ap.html
***
In Canada we can only send soldiers to military prison for 2 years less a day correct? Were someone here to be sentenced to 25 years would they do 2 years at club ed then 23 at a some federal prison?
