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    US soldier found not guilty in contractor death

    AP – Sat, Oct 1, 2011

    FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — A court-martialed U.S. soldier has been found not guilty by reason of lack of mental responsibility in the killing of a civilian contractor in Iraq, military officials said Saturday.

    Pfc. Carl T. Stovall had pleaded not guilty in the March 2009 shooting of Hungarian laborer Tibor Bogdan near Camp Taji, just north of Baghdad. Bogdan was shot while digging a hole at the camp.

    The shooting came less than a month into Stovall's third deployment to the Middle East.

    He opted to be tried by a military judge at Fort Hood instead of a jury. Testimony was heard this past week.

    In a statement Saturday, officials with the military post said the court ordered Stovall to receive a psychiatric/psychological evaluation before a post-trial hearing is conducted on Nov. 10. Stovall faced a maximum sentence of life without the possibility of parole.

    Stovall had allegedly once told investigators he believed Bogdan, who worked for a contractor specializing in trash and waste removal, was a terrorist planting a roadside bomb. Prosecutors, however, said Stovall, now 28, has changed his story multiple times, allegedly denying any involvement in one version.

    An Army psychiatrist, Col. David M. Benedek, testified Wednesday at the Fort Hood court-martial that Stovall is a paranoid schizophrenic and "not mentally responsible" for the close-range shooting.

    Stovall has a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in addition to drug and alcohol abuse. Benedek said the Georgia native also suffered a brain injury following a car accident in high school.

    An Army squad leader, Sgt. David Salas, testified that Stovall continued to drink after a stint in a rehabilitation program and that his moods were unpredictable. Salas said he repeatedly prepared documents to initiate Stovall's discharge from the Army, but his command was not receptive.

    Stovall had been deployed with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division.

     

    138 comments

    • Whitey
      Whitey  •  7 mths ago
      If he's that screwed up what's he doin gin the service?
      • Williams_den
        Williams_den 7 mths ago
        Well who screwed him up? Have you been to war? I saw many of my buddies go to Vietnam as normal only to return with many emotional disorders. The source of the problem is War.
      • Kevin
        Kevin 7 mths ago
        The article says he has had mental problems since High School.... I think our military just has low standards....
      • Stef
        Stef 7 mths ago
        Did all of you miss the part where his Sgt. tried multiple times to get him out? Blame it on spineless leadership.
    • Les
      Les  •  7 mths ago
      No, his leaders already knew he had a prob and should have addressed it before it got to this, so in my opinion his leadership is to blame. I retired from the Army in 2009 with 20 1/2 years in, my Father retired from the Air Force with over 24 years. So after a squad leader said he had a prob and did nothing is wrong!!
      • Rat
        Rat 7 mths ago
        Unfortunately you are right. The way the system is set up in the military, all the #$%$ you have to go through to get something like this addressed, most of the leaders from squad leader through C.O will not bother because it is such a pain in the arse wading through all the paperwork, just to have some military shrink blow it off as fatigue, recommend a couple of weeks vacation then send'em back.
      • Elena
        Elena 7 mths ago
        Still, two lives are lost because the military lowered their standards, didn't follow through on the recommendations of his immediate superior, "An Army squad leader, Sgt. David Salas, testified that Stovall continued to drink after a stint in a rehabilitation program and that his moods were unpredictable. Salas said he repeatedly prepared documents to initiate Stovall's discharge from the Army, but his command was not receptive." It says a lot about Salas trying to do the right thing and his superiors putting his request on the bottom of the pile, continuously. That says a lot about Salas' superiors.
    • Rat
      Rat  •  7 mths ago
      I was in the Army (I retired in 2006) when the requriements for enlistement changed in order to get more folks in to go off to Iraq and Afghanistan. I was rather taken aback to see what the military was letting in. Most did ok, but yes some folks that were allowed it really had me wondering. It was quite obvious that quota was more important than quality. I watched these young people; couldn't pour #$%$ from a boot with the instructions printed on the heel.
      • HARLEY DOG
        HARLEY DOG 7 mths ago
        i agree , i,d seen the pieces of crap these recruiters let in and still letting in ,with 15 years of active duty , i,m sick of being a babysitter ,and wasting my time escorting these chapters cases ,,
      • zippy
        zippy 7 mths ago
        Hey good? Is the only punctuation on your keyboard a comma?
    • mark
      mark  •  7 mths ago
      who let him in the Army if he suffered a brain injury in high school traffic accident? Other than that, its WAR.....things happen in War and sometimes innocent people are killed or injured , even by mistake. It happens.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  7 mths ago
      I hope they keep this guy under lock and key even if they did find him Not Guilty; he's definitely a threat to society and to himself. They shouldn't even let him in the Army.
      • nominumbre
        nominumbre 7 mths ago
        Hey no brain, it was the Army and 3 tours in Iraq that did this to him....
      • A Yahoo! User 7 mths ago
        Doesn't give him a license or excuse to kill another human being; I don't care what the excuse is.
    • jason
      jason  •  7 mths ago
      3 deployments he was likely just reliving earlier ROE’s for people digging near the road. You be surprised to see find the numbers who have been killed digging near a road.
      • Grant
        Grant 7 mths ago
        well i wouldnt be digging by the dam road!!!!! kinda simple
    • JIML
      JIML  •  7 mths ago
      His Chain of Command forced him to deploy even though they knew he had severe mental problems from prior deployments. This is a pretty common thing in his Division at the time, Commanders wanting to keep up numbers to ensure they look good on paper will do whatever it takes and take anyone they need to no matter how bad off that Soldier is Mentally or Physically. Unfortunately his Chain of Command will never be charged for their part in this murder.
    • T
      T  •  7 mths ago
      Sounds likes this man had many problems that were ignored by the military before the event took place...... Those who were above him failed to act in his best interest...... So sad
    • DJS
      DJS  •  7 mths ago
      So what happens to him now? Is he walking the streets or is he getting help in an institution?
    • T. Guy McWhite
      T. Guy McWhite  •  7 mths ago
      "An Army psychiatrist, Col. David M. Benedek, testified Wednesday at the Fort Hood court-martial that Stovall is a paranoid schizophrenic and "not mentally responsible" for the close-range shooting.

      "Stovall has a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in addition to drug and alcohol abuse. Benedek said the Georgia native also suffered a brain injury following a car accident in high school.

      "An Army squad leader, Sgt. David Salas, testified that Stovall continued to drink after a stint in a rehabilitation program and that his moods were unpredictable. Salas said he repeatedly prepared documents to initiate Stovall's discharge from the Army, but his command was not receptive."

      This is what we are knowingly sending to Iraq as representatives of Democracry and the best of the United States Military? Nice work boys. Good luck.
    • The Odd
      The Odd  •  7 mths ago
      Be ALL you can be -- a paranoid schizophrenic
    • Elena
      Elena  •  7 mths ago
      Our military is so strapped for volunteers that they even over-ride the recommendations of those in command of the men and women in uniform who are unfit for duty.
    • cowboy66
      cowboy66  •  7 mths ago
      why was this nut in the army to begin with start the draft back up and get some of the children of these gungho right wingers to serve in the army instead of just cheering from the sidelines
    • VincentD
      VincentD  •  7 mths ago
      how did he get into the military???
    • postalwaite
      postalwaite  •  7 mths ago
      A brain injury prior to enlistment and they took him anyway!!??. The Army is at fault for this mess for giving this guy a gun in the first place. This one was the Army's fault from start to finish. He should never have been allowed to enlist!
    • David
      David  •  7 mths ago
      One look at Stoval's picture and immediately I think of the guy in Full Metal Jacket's bathroom scene... "This is my rifle. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle, I am useless."
    • Andy
      Andy  •  7 mths ago
      You can now get away with murder simply by being diagnosed with ADHD? And if his problems were that severe, who accepted him into the armed forces? If he's not responsible then someone else should be. It's too easy to just wash our hands of this.
    • matt
      matt  •  7 mths ago
      Stovall has a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in addition to drug and alcohol abuse. Benedek said the Georgia native also suffered a brain injury following a car accident in high school.
      ...and yet, they still allowed him to enlist.
    • Michael S
      Michael S  •  7 mths ago
      "Stovall has a history of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, in addition to drug and alcohol abuse. Benedek said the Georgia native also suffered a brain injury following a car accident in high school"

      Just the kind of man we want in the US Army !!
    • ray
      ray  •  7 mths ago
      What was this Mental defective doing in the Army? With all the problems listed concerning his behavior he should have been discharged. He wasn't evaluated, or supervised properly. There is plenty of blame to go around specially after his Sgt. reported his strange actions.
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