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Army investigates alleged Iraq murder pact

VILSECK, Germany — An Army investigation into the alleged killing of several Iraqi civilian detainees by four U.S. soldiers in 2007 entered its second day today as investigators weighed whether to take the case to the next step.

Witness testimony at a pretrial Article 32 Court Martial hearing at U.S. Rose Barracks opened Tuesday with questioning of four members of the 172nd Infantry Brigade whom prosecutors allege conspired to commit the premeditated murder of a group of Iraqi detainees in Iraq between March 10 and April 16, 2007.

Staff Sgt. Jess Cunningham, Sgt. Charles Quigley, Spc. Steven Ribordy and Spc. Belmor Ramos are being investigated. Ribordy and Ramos both waived their right to have an Article 32 investigation prior to the proceedings Tuesday, indicating they had struck some sort of plea deal, although none was mentioned.

In testimony Tuesday, Sgt. Daniel Evoy and Spc. Humberto Navarro said four Iraqi detainees were killed near Baghdad in 2007, but another witness, Spc. Joshua Hartson, recalled there being five detainees.

The witnesses all said that Cunningham and Quigley had little, if any, knowledge or part in the direction of the killings, saying that 1st Sgt. John Hatley, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo and Sgt. Michael Leahy, had carried them out.

“Mayo and Hatley asked us, ‘Do you have any problem with us shooting them?’ ” said Evoy, the first witness called to the stand, on Tuesday.

“We didn’t believe them and didn’t answer.”

Hatley, Mayo and Leahy were not at the hearing Tuesday and will face charges and trial at a later date. Military officials declined to offer further details on their cases.

Witness testimony is to continue through today and possibly the rest of the week.

The chief presiding investigating officer, Maj. Rocky Lobash, can at any time declare pursuit of the case to the next step, court-martial proceedings.