Wednesday, February 21, 2007
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) -- A U.S. soldier pleaded guilty Tuesday to rape and murder in the death of a 14-year-old girl and her family last year in Iraq. A judge has not yet accepted the plea.
The military court still must decide whether the killings were premeditated and will hear evidence today.
The court will consider whether Sgt. Paul E. Cortez of Barstow, Calif., should be found guilty of premeditated murder and whether he is guilty of conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, defense lawyer William Cassara said Tuesday.
Cortez was charged with premeditated murder, conspiracy to premeditated murder, rape and conspiracy to rape but pleaded guilty to murder, rape and conspiracy to rape. The judge, Col. Stephen R. Henley, adjourned the case until today.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.