Court-martial set for pvt. accused in beating

[unhappycamper]

Court-martial set for pvt. accused in beating
Staff report
Posted : Friday Feb 13, 2009 12:20:47 EST

The court-martial for a soldier accused of participating in the 2005 gang-beating death of Sgt. Juwan Johnson is scheduled to begin Feb. 23 in Vilseck, Germany.

Pvt. Bobby D. Morrissette, of 1st Cargo Transfer Company, 18th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in Grafenwoehr, Germany, is charged with involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, two counts of participation in gang initiation rituals, two counts of impeding an investigation, impeding a trial by court-martial and two counts of willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer.

Morrissette also is accused of committing an indecent act on a girl in the presence of another person and wrongful use of a controlled substance. Both those charges stem from a separate incident.

Johnson, a veteran of the Iraq war, was found dead July 4, 2005, in his barracks room in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Investigators have said Johnson was beaten for six minutes by 11 fellow service members as part of a “jumping in” initiation into the Gangster Disciples, a Chicago-based gang.

So far, at least two soldiers and two airmen have been convicted in Johnson’s death.


Article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_courtmartial_021309w/%2e