Trump Grants Clemency to Former Soldier Convicted of Murder
Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, at left in front of the American flag, pictured in Iraq with some members of his platoon. In the back right holding the flag is Adam Kohlhaas, who was killed in a roadside bombing tied to an Al Qaeda cell. (File image from Behenna family)
The White House announced Monday that President Trump gave former Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna— convicted of killing an Iraqi prisoner—an grant of executive clemency.
A military court originally sentenced Behenna to 25 years for unpremeditated murder in a combat zone. Subsequently, the Army’s highest appellate court was concerned about how the trial court had conducted Behenna’s claim of self-defense. The Army Clemency and Parole Board reduced his sentence to 15 years and paroled him in 2014.
Behenna acknowledged during his 2008 trial that instead of taking prisoner Ali Mansur home as he was ordered, he took the man to a railroad culvert, stripped him, and then questioned him at gunpoint about a roadside bombing that had killed two members of Behenna’s platoon.
Behenna, who was 24 at the time, said he acted in self-defense when Mansur threw a chunk of concrete at him and reached for the lieutenant’s handgun. Army prosecutors said the argument didn’t stand up because Behenna was already pointing his weapon at the prisoner.
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter initially sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr, requesting a pardon consideration, and renewed the request in February 2018.
“Mr. Behenna’s case has attracted broad support from the military, Oklahoma elected officials, and the public,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in the clemency statement. “Further, while serving his sentence, Mr. Behenna was a model prisoner. In light of these facts, Mr. Behenna is entirely deserving of this Grant of Executive Clemency.”
Executive Clemency s the power of the President, in federal cases, to pardon a person convicted of a crime, commute the sentence (shorten it, often to time already served), or reduce it from death to another lesser sentence. The entire article may be viewed here: Fox News.
I have seen quite a few of these cases, come around. Most by way of family asking for support because their son/daughter was wrongly accused and was railroaded through the system. This one seemed a little froggy from the beginning. Since the story never wavered. He admitted he did something wrong in the heat of the moment to get answers. He did not intend to kill the guy, only scare him. He was surprised when the committed terrorist decided to test him and lunged for the pistol. He admitted he screwed up, but he was defending himself when the terrorist was shot. Glad he will receive some clemency.