GI Gets 10 Years for Iraqi Murder

Sniper tried to cover tracks after killing unarmed civilian

By Peter Fearon, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 11, 2008 5:12 AM CST

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GI Gets 10 Years for Iraqi Murder — U.S. Army Sgt. Evan Vela waits for the verdict outside the courthouse in Camp Liberty in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2008. Sgt. Vela, an Army sniper, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the murder of an Iraqi civilian. Vela, 24, was found guilty of murder without premeditation, aiding and abetting... (Associated Press)

A US Army sniper was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday after a court martial found him guilty of murdering an Iraqi civilian. The Iraqi was shot when he stumbled upon the sniper's hideout, and a weapon was planted on the body to make it appear that the victim was a terrorist, reports the Los Angeles Times.

"When I came to Iraq, I didn't come over to do the wrong thing," testified shooter Sargeant Evan Vela. "My experience in Iraq is with me every day. I have to live with this every day for the rest of my life. I am truly sorry for what happened. " (More Iraq stories.)

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