Three Marines face court-martial stemming from suicide

Three Marines face court-martial stemming from suicide

By Jorene Barut
HONOLULU
Oct 27, 2011 5:40am EDT
(Reuters) - Three U.S. Marines were ordered on Wednesday to face court-martial on charges they physically abused and humiliated a fellow Marine who later killed himself while they were serving in Afghanistan.

The case stems from the suicide of Lance Corporal Harry Lew, 21, who shot himself with his automatic rifle during a patrol in April after he was allegedly beaten and hazed by others in his unit for falling asleep while on sentry duty.

A suicide note that read, "May hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice I'm sorry my mom deserves the truth," was found scrawled on Lew's arm, according to an investigative report cited by the Marine Corps Times newspaper.

Lew and the three men charged with abusing him -- Jacob Jacoby and Carlos Orozco, both lance corporals, and squad leader Sergeant Benjamin Johns -- were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division.

The unit is stationed at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, which is probably where the three men will be tried.
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