Convicted soldier retracts accusation of platoon leader in murder of Iraqi

He said his fear of a life sentence led to his lie about the YSU graduate.
FORT RILEY, Kan. (AP) -- A soldier convicted of murdering unarmed Iraqis said Thursday that he implicated his platoon leader so he could get a lighter prison sentence.
Pvt. Michael Williams said he had lied earlier when he said he was ordered by 2nd Lt. Erick J. Anderson, of Twinsburg, a Cleveland suburb, to shoot an Iraqi man in August 2004. Testifying in a hearing Thursday to determine if Anderson will face a court martial, Williams said the Iraqi man was dead when Anderson arrived and that Anderson never gave any order to kill him.
"I just felt that pressure of getting a life sentence instead of 25 years," Williams said. "It's just a lot of my fear."
Williams' original statement, made in Iraq, led to murder charges being filed against Anderson in October, alleging he ordered Williams and a second soldier in a separate case to kill Iraqi civilians. Thursday was the second day of a hearing to determine if Anderson will face a court martial for murder, conspiracy, dereliction of duty, making a false statement and conduct unbecoming an officer.
Anderson's congressman, Republican Steven LaTourette, and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, denounced the new charges last month and asked colleagues to do likewise. LaTourette, a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, asked other colleagues to join them.
Peter Lorenz of Hudson, Anderson's uncle, said Anderson was a linebacker for Twinsburg High School and played football for YSU before graduating in 2001.
August 2004 events
The shootings occurred while the platoon, part of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 41st Infantry, was conducting missions near Sadr City near Baghdad.
Williams, of Memphis, Tenn., was convicted of two counts of murder, including fatally shooting an unarmed Iraqi in a house during a search on Aug. 28, 2004. An Army investigator testified Wednesday that Williams implicated Anderson only after his prison sentence was reduced to 25 years from life.
Williams, whose rank has been reduced from sergeant to private, testified Thursday that after entering the house, he and his team found a man with an AK-47 rifle. Williams said he shot the man twice in the chest when he reached for the gun.
Contradicting his own statements and those of other soldiers in the platoon, Williams testified Thursday that he fired a third shot at the Iraqi to make sure he was dead before Anderson arrived. Prosecutors argue that after entering the house, Anderson told Williams the man wasn't dead yet and said to finish him off.
A second soldier, Spc. Brent May, of Salem, Ohio, was convicted of murder in the same shootings and sentenced to five years in prison.
Williams' account
In pleading guilty to the shootings, Williams signed a statement that did not mention Anderson giving an order to shoot. Days later, he said, he gave a handwritten account to Army investigators because he thought it was necessary to keep his prison deal.
"This is what they want," Williams said of his statement.
Williams, whose case is under appeal, said he realized the new testimony was damaging.
"It destroys my credibility," he said.
Anderson's attorneys appeared stunned by Williams' new version of events.