Soldier convicted in killing of comrades

May 26, 2011|Associated Press

FORT STEWART, Ga. — An Army sergeant was found guilty yesterday of two counts of premeditated murder in the 2008 slayings of his squad leader and another US soldier at a patrol base in Iraq, but he was spared the death penalty when the military jury didn’t return a unanimous verdict.

Sergeant Joseph Bozicevich of Minneapolis now faces a sentence of life in prison, either with or without the possibility of parole. The death penalty is an option in a court martial only when there is a unanimous guilty verdict of murder.

Bozicevich, 41, admitted during the trial that he shot Staff Sergeant Darris Dawson of Pensacola, Fla., and Sergeant Wesley Durbin of Dallas at a patrol base outside Baghdad on Sept. 14, 2008, after they criticized him for making mistakes in an unforgiving war zone. But he testified that he opened fire only because the two soldiers aimed rifles at his head and threatened to kill him if he didn’t sign off on their written reports about him.

Prosecutors insisted that he grabbed his gun in anger after the men wounded his pride.

Relatives and friends of the victims burst into cheers after the verdict was read and showered the military prosecutors with praise and hugs.

A sentencing hearing is set to begin today.