US marine guilty of Iraq murder

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A US court martial has convicted a marine squad leader of murder over the killing of an Iraqi grandfather.

Sgt Lawrence G Hutchins III was also convicted of conspiracy to murder Hashim Ibrahim Awad in April 2006.

Mr Awad was pulled from his home in Hamdaniya and shot, with an assault rifle placed nearby to make him look like an insurgent.

Another member of Sgt Hutchins' squad, Cpl Magincalda, was found guilty on Wednesday of conspiracy to murder.

Plea bargains

The military jury found Sgt Hutchins guilty of unpremeditated murder rather than the premeditated murder he had been charged with.

He was also convicted of larceny and making false official statements but was acquitted of kidnapping, assault and housebreaking.

Sgt Hutchins faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Cpl Magincalda was convicted of conspiracy but not murder <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/5105284.stm">Other US investigations</a>

Five of the eight soldiers originally implicated in the murder cut plea bargains with prosecutors for their testimony and have already been sentenced to between one and eight years in prison.

On Wednesday, Cpl Magincalda was also found guilty of theft and housebreaking.

Cpl Trent Thomas was acquitted of murder last month, but convicted of conspiracy to murder and kidnapping.

He escaped a prison sentence but was reduced in rank and dishonourably discharged.

Prosecutors said Sgt Hutchins had Mr Awad taken from his house when his squad could not find a suspected insurgent who lived next door.

Mr Awad was shot in a ditch and a stolen shovel and an AK-47 assault rifle were placed by his body to him look like an insurgent who had been planting a roadside bomb.

The case is one of several in which US troops have been accused of killing Iraqi civilians.