Marines rally to support another Marine charged with killing a prisoner
Los Angeles Times
Updated: 06/28/2009 10:19:14 PM CDT

SAN DIEGO — A group of retired Marines is rallying behind Sgt. Jermaine Nelson, the last of three Marines to face trial in the killing of unarmed prisoners during a battle in Fallujah, Iraq, in November 2004.

Two other defendants have been found not guilty in the past year: former Sgt. Jose Nazario in federal court in August and Sgt. Ryan Weemer in a court-martial at Camp Pendleton in April.

Nelson's case is set for a pretrial hearing today at Camp Pendleton. He stands accused of unpremeditated murder and dereliction of duty.

Calls for the charges to be dropped have come from retired Col. G.I. Wilson; William McNulty of the Marine Corps Intelligence Association; and the board of directors of the Warrior Legacy Foundation, a group dedicated to opposing what it sees as unjust treatment of military personnel.

In a taped interview with Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents, Nelson confessed to killing a prisoner and said he saw Nazario and Weemer kill prisoners during the Marines' house-to-house search for insurgents in Iraq.

His supporters insist the interview should not be considered as evidence because, they say, it was coerced by NCIS agents. Complaints also have been raised that military prosecutors have ignored the possibility Nelson might have had post-traumatic stress disorder at the time of the battle.

Nazario's federal court jury was made up of civilians, who said after the verdict that civilians should not be asked to second-guess
actions taken by Marines or soldiers in combat.

Weemer's jury was made up of Marines who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan; no reason was given for their decision.

Ellie