Sure they can. They can say he copped a plea only for the purpose of ensuring that his children wouldn't be without their dad. And...surprise surprise...that was effectively the way the choice was presented to him.
He would hardly be the first person to plead to an inaccurate charge for personal reasons.
Bingo, xzins.
Back to SSGt Bales......katiedidit1 brought up effect of drugs being prescribed for PTSD, pain, etc. As soon as I heard SSGt Bales had no knowledge of what happened, it got me wondering about the possibility of the influence of drugs (prescription type). I’ve heard reports of troops been prescribed a cocktail of drugs for PTSD/depression/anxiety whatever with no real oversight from a doctor in the field, AND being kept on active duty.
There are some serious flaws in how our military handles mental health issues, especially in the field.
It has to be heartbreaking for his loved ones to try to understand what might have happened.