Private Green Guilty On All Counts

A jury of nine women and three men deliberated for a total of ten hours and forty minutes before convicting ex-U.S. Army Private Steven Dale Green on all sixteen counts. Eight of these counts could bring the death penalty.

In 2006 while serving in Iraq, Green and four others raped 14-year-old Abeer al-Janabi, then murdered her, her parents and her 6-year-old sister. Green's four accomplices were convicted in a military tribunal. Two of these men testified during Green's trail, fingering him as the one who instigated the massacre. Green, unlike the other four, entered a plea of not guilty.

Green stands convicted of:

-Conspiracy to commit murder

-Conspiracy to sexual assault

-Premeditated murder, four counts

-Murder committed during the act of sexual abuse, four counts

-Aggravated sexual abuse

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-Use of a firearm during a crime of violence, four counts

-Obstruction of justice

• • •

July 2006 Steven Green in motel room - undated

As the jury entered the courtroom, Green (red sweater vest) let out a large anxious sigh, knowing the weight of the words to come. "The court will now publish the verdict," said Judge Thomas Russell as Green interlaced his fingers and clasped them over his chin. Russell read the verdict flatly. Green went from starring at the floor to eying the jury. His shoulders dropped as he was convicted of count number eleven, aggravated sexual abuse. A paralegal at the defense table consoled Green by patting him on his back, herself breaking down in tears.

After Russell finished reading the verdicts, Defense Attorney Scott Wendelsdorf, intending to ensure finality, requested the jury be polled. Russell asked each juror if they agreed with these verdicts, receiving a simple yes from all jurors. Green watched without expression.

Darren C. Wolff, a Military Attorney for the Defense, later said:

We never denied his involvement in this case. Is this verdict a surprise to us? No. The goal in this case has always been to save our client's life. We're going to go to the most important phase, which is the sentencing phase, and we're going to accomplish that goal.

The sentencing phase will begin on Monday, May 11th.

Evan Bright is a senior at Paducah Tilghman Highschool in Paducah, KY. He writes and photographs for his high school newspaper, The Tilghman Bell. Since the USA V. Green began on April 27th, 2009, he has been present every day, blogging/tweeting/reporting about the trial's proceedings. He will continue to chronicle the proceedings until the conclusion of the trial.

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Comments

[myturnnow]

This is all so sad. War is never justified. Innocent people die in war. We sent so many young people to fight in a war of greed and we care not who we sent. Among them are those who did not fit in regular society and are looking for a way to feel important and powerful. Private Green is probably one of them. The final verdict is on the depravity of the person and the war. We are all guilty by association. We did not stop the Bush War for Oil. Now so many are dead and everyone's hands are bloody.

[btrim]

That is the way I view the situation, as well.

[GDJ-NCTMB]

With respect with the crime Mr. Green committed I can only reflect on the votes by some of Virginia's Republican House of Representatives, Eric Cantor being just one of them, on the Hate Crime bill. According to these people a member of the U.S. armed forces who has hate for a gay person can torture, brutally gang rape and murder that person, that is not a hate crime. If that gay person's brother, for instance, comes along and sees what is happening and beats the ever living hell out of the soldier and ensures that his dna never pollutes this universe again, according to Eric Cantor and his like minded friends, this would be a hate crime.

[MocksNix]

A firing squad would be too honorable for ending this creep's life. Soldiers die by firing squads. He needs to be hanged. Like Saddam. Or like common murderers in a more enlightened, less deadly, time (19th Century).

[FabulousAt52]

I don't believe in mandatory law / punishments. Never did, never will.
I believe ALL cases should each be reviewed and tried on their own, encompassing all relevant facts and circumstances of THAT particular case, then applying a justified and logical punishment....
That being said, I say this guy deserves the death penalty.

Keeping him fed, clothed, exercised and entertained in prison for the next 65 years is not a fitting punishment for this twisted, bloodthirsty loser. We seriously need to start culling the sick and twisted from our population if we ever want to improve things down the road.

YMMV

[Gregor53]

I wish I could agree with you, but that would make me a hypocrite. I do not believe in the death penalty here in the U.S., so how could I say, “Kill the SOB”? Actually, prison may be better…he himself could be raped. Imagine him experiencing the fear and horror he created for Abeer al-Janabi.

[Obamanaut]

My view, as a former service member, is that if we as ambassadors of our country and its armed forces perpetrate heinous acts against the people we are supposed to be protecting, we are no better than the people we are protecting them from. I took a dim view of this kind of behavior when I served in Japan at a time when an enlisted soldier savagely beat an 81 year old Japanese national, trashed the man's home, punched his wife and his daughter. He then set fire to their home.

The enlisted soldier is dead. We put him to death over the objections of the old man and his entire family.

The family petitioned for the man's life. THAT is honor.

Kill that son-of-a-*****!

[Isabelle17]

He really ought to be on trial at the ICC for war crimes - the use of rape as a tactic for war is in clear breach of international law, and he should be tried for it. That said, I hope the judge is not swayed by whatever nonsense excuse his defense attornies come up with, and that he gets an appropriate punishment for his horrific crimes.

[jmundstuk]

Let's see a show of hands of those who say they oppose the death penalty but want this guy to be killed, preferably after being tortured. You either oppose the death penalty or you don't. I do, in this and in all cases. It's how a civilized society must live.

[Rog49Thomas]

Why isn't he and the other perpetrators on trial in Iraq?

[liberalrebuttal]

As a victim of this myself , however not as brutally , I believe he should receive justice and if that justice demands that he be put to death, I sadly have to say......I support it.

[brandnewstuff]

I want him to have the death penalty! All is beyond human reasoning- A War Crime- I am sad for that childs last moments on earth to be so vial ..........­..........­..........­..........­...this reflects on America badly.....­..........­.....His death is Justice for the Global World a way of redemption­..........­..........­..........­..........­.

[fictioneer]

He doesn't deserve to live.

[KIVPossum]

He should have been turned over to Iraq and let their courts handle the matter.

Even though he was found guilty, he'll never be executed, or it'll be twenty years down the road. Iraq would have taken care of the matter by autumn.

[pinkbunny]

For killing a family and then raping and killing a 14 year old girl ?

Imagine if the the girl was white and it was done by a black man?

Heck yes, what he did was completely heinous. He deserves the death penalty. He will NEVER be rehabilitated. Rapists never are!

[kellygrrrl]

S0c!0path!c persons should be screened from military and police jobs, period

[IslandGyal]

A racist rapist and muderer in an American military uniform is still a racist rapist and murderer and should be treated as such.