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Civil Jury Clears Ex-Marine In Iraqi Detainee Deaths

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 29, 2008

Updated: 08/29/2008 01:57 am

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - A former Marine accused of killing unarmed Iraqi detainees was acquitted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in a first-of-its-kind federal trial that ended with some of the jurors shaking hands and hugging the defendant and his sobbing mother.

The jury took less than six hours to find Jose Luis Nazario Jr., 28, not guilty of charges he killed or caused others to kill four unarmed detainees on Nov. 9, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, during some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

Thursday's verdict marks the first time a civilian jury has determined whether the alleged actions of a former military service member in combat violated the law of war.

The case came to light in 2006 when Sgt. Ryan Weemer, Nazario's former squadmate, volunteered details to a U.S. Secret Service job interviewer during a lie-detector screening that included a question about the most serious crime he ever committed.

The Associated Press

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