A U.S. Navy SEAL was found not guilty of murder during his time in Iraq. However, a jury did convict the SEAL in question for taking pictures with a dead war casualty.
According to reports, Seven SEALs, including two, alleged to have witnessed Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher repeatedly stab an injured teenage ISIS fighter in the neck and body while other SEALs were treating the wounds.
Gallagher later reportedly posed for a photograph with the corpse. Prosecutor, Navy Cmdr. Jeff Pietrzyk said it was Gallagher’s own words, via a message that was sent that solidified his guilt ” “good story behind this, got him with my hunting knife.”
However, Gallagher’s wife Andrea has staunchly supported her husband. “This is not the way that we treat people in this country, especially a decorated war hero,” she said.
The defense argued the trial was simply junior SEALs upset with Gallagher’s demanding leadership style. However, the two-week trial reportedly experienced jaw-dropping moments when Navy SEAL Corey Scott admitted to the murder. When asked why he said, “I knew he would die anyway.”
The jury deliberated for six hours and found Gallagher not guilty, but he was convicted on posing with the body, which is an Army code violation.
