Staff Sgt. Robert Bales Charged With 17 Counts Of Murder

Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales has been charged with 17 counts of murder in connection to the massacre in Afghanistan on March 11th.

The Associated Press reports that in addition to the murder charges, Bales will also be charged with six counts of attempted murder and six counts of aggravated assault. Bales will also be charged with several military law violations.

Bales’ attorney, John Henry Browne, says that his client is a good man who was traumatized by war. Bale was in the middle of his fourth tour when he walked into an Afghanistan village on the night of March 11th and started shooting civilians. Nine Afghan children and eight adults were killed in the attack.

Browne said:

“I’m not putting the war on trial… but the war is on trial. If I can help create a discussion about the war, that would be a great way for me to go out.”

Bales is currently in prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. The charges will be read to him tomorrow.