Iraqi Detainee Murder Cases [UPDATED] Update

The NY Times and Stars and Stripes report that premeditated murder charges were preferred against 3 soldiers for the alleged killing of 4 Iraqi detainees in Baghdad in April 2007. The three soldiers were identified in Art. 32 hearings held last month as the shooters in the killings, see CAAFlog coverage here. Two of the three accused apparently are also accused of another Iraqi civilian murder. Stars and Stripes reports:

The Army also charged [First Sgt.] Hatley and [Sgt.] Leahy with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder for a separate incident that occurred in or near Baghdad in early January 2007, according to the Army release. Leahy also faces a specification of accessory after the fact stemming from that incident.

Two other soldiers waived their Art. 32 hearings in relation to the same incident, one appearing before a court-martial on Thursday, as reported here. In other news, the Art. 32 hearing for Sgt. Warner, who is also accused of killing an Iraqi detainee in a separate incident, concluded this past weekend, as reported on JURIST.

UPDATE: Spc. Ramos, who we noted above was appearing before a court-martial today, apparently pled guilty in exchange for his testimony against the alleged shooters in the killing of 4 Iraqi detainees alongside a Baghdad canal in April 2007. Ramos was sentenced by an unidentified Army military judge. The government asked for 5 years and a DD; the defense asked for a reprimand; the judge awarded 7 months and a DD. According to news reports, here and here, Ramos' role in the killings was to "stand guard" in his HMMWV's gun turret while the three NCOs carried out the killings---how's that for a squid summary of Army stuff?