SEATTLE — In December, Army Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs began joking with other soldiers about how easy it would be to “toss a grenade” at Afghan civilians and kill them, according to statements made by fellow platoon members to military investigators.
One soldier said it was a stupid idea. Another thought Gibbs was “feeling out the platoon.” Others told investigators Gibbs eventually turned the talk into action, forming what one called a “kill team.”
In one of the most serious war-crimes cases to emerge from the Afghanistan war, five soldiers from a brigade based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord are accused of killing civilians in Afghanistan and are now facing additional charges of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder.
They were charged with murder in June in connection with the deaths of three Afghan civilians in Kandahar province this year.
According to charging summaries, seven other soldiers have been charged in connection with the conspiracy or with attempting to cover it up.
In two of the incidents, grenades were thrown at the victims and they were shot, according to documents. The third victim also was shot.
The soldiers allegedly killed the three Afghans while on patrol, and anyone who dared to report the events was threatened with violence, according to statements made to investigators.
The Seattle Times has reviewed court documents, filed by a defense attorney with an Army magistrate, that summarize some of the evidence. The Times also has interviewed attorneys for three of the defendants. The documents give new insight into how the murder plot may have evolved, but they give few clues about motives.
All five soldiers are awaiting court-martial proceedings. If convicted, they face the possibility of life imprisonment or death.
Hearings are expected to start later this year.
The soldiers served with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division that went to Afghanistan in the summer of 2009. Some 3,700 soldiers in the brigade (recently renamed the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division) were distributed throughout southern Afghanistan. They were involved both in combat and in wide-ranging efforts to open schools, train Afghan forces, improve agriculture and take other measures to win the support of civilians.
Col. Harry Tunnell, commander of the 5th Brigade, interviewed in July, declined to comment on the criminal case. But he notes that the investigation that led to the criminal charges was generated by the brigade itself. The alleged murder plot came to the attention of the Army in May, according to court documents.
Gibbs, of Billings, Mont., and Spec. Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska, are the central figures in the case. They are charged in all three killings. Gibbs, 25, has denied any involvement. Morlock, 22, has played a major role in helping the Army develop the case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
