Tagged: Robert Bales

A judge has accepted the guilty plea of a a soldier accused of murdering 16 Afghan civilians. The plea spares the life of the soldier based at Joint Base Lewis McChord. He still faces trial to determine if he'll ever be eligible for parole.

Army staff sergeant Robert Bales will plead guilty next week to murdering 16 Afghan villagers in early morning raids last year. The plea allows the soldier from western Washington’s Joint-Base Lewis McCord to avoid the death penalty. John Henry Browne, an attorney for Bales, says his client will detail his own version of the crimes as part of the plea deal.

Staff Sergeant Robert Bales' arraignment in a military court room south of Tacoma marked the start of a court martial that could potentially end in a death sentence.

The Army sergeant charged with killing 16 Afghan civilians earlier this year has arrived back in Washington. That confirmation came late Monday from an official at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.