Free Republic

FORT RILEY, Kan. - A military judge allowed prosecutors to drop murder charges against an Army sergeant accused in the deaths of two fellow soldiers, but he sentenced the man to 12 years in prison on drug charges Wednesday. Sgt. Eric Colvin, 24, had agreed to plead guilty to three drug charges and testify against another defendant in exchange for prosecutors dropping murder and conspiracy counts against him. His testimony led to the conviction of Sgt. Aaron Stanley on two counts of premeditated murder last month. Stanley, 33, was sentenced to life in prison for the 2004 killings at his...

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- A military jury found an Army sergeant guilty Friday of premeditated murder for the shootings of two fellow soldiers last year. Sgt. Aaron Stanley, 23, of Bismarck, N.D., faces a sentence of life in prison. An eight-member court martial panel began hearing testimony in the sentencing phase after returning the verdict. Closing statements were to be presented Saturday morning, then the panel will determine if Stanley will ever be eligible for parole. Stanley was convicted of killing Staff Sgt. Matthew Werner, 30, of Oxnard, Calif., and Spc. Christopher D. Hymer, 23, of Nevada, Mo., in September...