Still no details about JBLM soldier accused in Afghanistan slayings

Still no details about JBLM soldier accused in Afghanistan slayings
Days after the slayings in Afghanistan, the military has kept under wraps one of the most salient details — the name of the sergeant.

March 15, 2012

By Seattle Times news services

The Joint Base Lewis-McChord sergeant suspected of killing 16 Afghan villagers was flown to Kuwait from Afghanistan on Wednesday, U.S. officials said.

New evidence emerged to support the case that the sergeant acted alone, but days after the slayings, the military has kept under wraps one of the most salient details — his name.

It also is not clear where he will be held or tried, and nothing has been disclosed about his state of mind or any possible reason for his actions.

Already, details of the sergeant's identity and background and particulars of the judicial process he faces have been withheld longer than might be routine.

Military officials said it was military policy not to release the name until charges are filed. But military experts said this case seems unusual.

Eugene Fidell, who teaches military justice at Yale Law School, said it was unusual for the sergeant's identity to be concealed for so long, adding, "It's very strange."

Among the reasons for initially withholding the sergeant's identity, Fidell said, may have been that the military wanted to protect his family from possible reprisal.
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