Page 7 - aruba-today-20190806

A7
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 6 augusT 2019

Military alleges sexual misconduct in soldier’s hazing death

the top Navy SEAL to com- DeDolph, 40, and Made- haze him over perceived
manders that said some ra-Rodriguez, 34, still face slights against other service
in the ranks “have failed charges of murder and the members. Maxwell said the
to maintain good order possibility of a life sentence plot to haze Melgar started
and discipline” and that if found guilty. off as a hypothetical joke
the problem “must be ad- Capt. Warren Record, the that was cooked up as
dressed immediately,” ac- preliminary hearing officer Marines and SEALs social-
cording to newsoutlets . for Monday’s proceedings, ized at a bar and then at a
The July 25 letter didn’t of- will make a recommenda- dance club.
fer specifics. But it comes tion in coming days over “It would be hilarious and
after a string of high profile whether the case should embarrassing,” Maxwell
incidents involving Navy proceed to a court martial said of their mindset before
SEALs. hearing. An admiral will re- the incident.
Among them is Melgar’s ceive the recommenda- He said the plan was to
2017 death in Africa, where tion and then ultimately de- choke the blood flow to
U.S. special forces have cide where the case goes. Melgar’s brain so that he
supported and trained lo- Record said he will not rec- would fall into unconscious-
cal troops in their fight ommend to the admiral ness, pull his pants down
against extremists. that the sexual charges be and videotape the inci-
Military prosecutors have added to the case, citing dent, Maxwell said. They
charged four men — two insufficient evidence. would then show it to him
SEALs and two Marines — in Monday’s hearing offered later.
Melgar’s death in Bamako, yet another detailed reci- Matthews said they had
Mali. tation of Melgar’s death. brought along a Malian
SEAL Adam Matthews and Matthews and Maxwell, guard who had removed
Marine Kevin Maxwell Jr. who are now serving time his shirt and worn a leash as
have already pleaded in military prisons, testified part of the prank.
guilty to lesser charges and via telephone that Mel- But within minutes, the men
were sentenced to military gar’s death was the result said, Melgar was no longer
prison. of a botched attempt to breathing.q
This undated photo provided by the U.S. Army shows U.S. Army
Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar Green Beret.
Associated Press
By BEN FINLEY ual contact” against Army
Associated Press Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar as
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Mili- he was hazed on video in
tary prosecutors in Virginia his bedroom.
said Monday that they The overall effort to embar-
want to add allegations rass Melgar ultimately led
of sexual misconduct to to his death, according to
their murder case against charging documents. Mel-
a U.S. Marine and a Navy gar was bound with duct
SEAL who are among those tape and placed in choke
blamed for the 2017 hazing holds to temporarily knock
death of a U.S. Green Beret him unconscious before
in Africa. he stopped breathing, the
Navy prosecutor Benjamin charging documents said.
Garcia made the request The sexual misconduct al-
at a preliminary hearing at legation added a new
a military court in Norfolk. wrinkle to a case that has
The lieutenant command- pulled back the curtain on
er said that Marine Mario misconduct among some
Madera-Rodriguez and of America’s most elite ser-
SEAL Tony DeDolph were vice members.
among four servicemen It also follows a letter that
who planned to make “sex- was recently written by