Soldier charged in Afghan death to be released

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. (AP) — The lawyer for one of five soldiers charged with killing Afghan civilians for sport says his client is being released from custody pending his court-martial.

Attorney Colby Vokey said that an Army judge today agreed to release Spc. Michael Wagnon, originally from Las Vegas. The other four defendants remain in custody.

Wagnon is accused of joining the others in deliberately slaughtering three civilians in Kandahar Province early last year. All five soldiers are part of a Washington state-based brigade.

Prosecutors allege he directly participated in the second of the three killings.

An Army investigator who reviewed evidence in the case suggested that murder and conspiracy charges against Wagnon be dropped, but officials declined to do so.

His court-martial is set for June.