Court Told of ‘Confusion’ Over Missing Marine

A friend of a Marine who died when he was left behind in the Mojave desert after a training exercise testified Monday he had asked about his friend’s absence a day before he was reported missing.

There was “total confusion” when Lance Cpl. Jason Rother was discovered missing, Lance Cpl. Kevin Robertson said at the court-martial of Rother’s platoon sergeant.

Sgt. Christopher Clyde is charged with dereliction of duty and disobeying an order.

Rother, 19, of Minneapolis, died when he was left at his post as a road guide, after a training exercise Aug. 30. He was not reported missing until nearly two days later and his remains were not found until Dec. 4.

A hearing is scheduled Tuesday for 1st Lt. Allen Lawson, who also is charged with dereliction of duty. His general court-martial is expected to start Feb. 7. A third Marine, Sgt. Thomas Turnell, faces a special court-martial Thursday.

Turnell was Rother’s squad leader. Lawson was in charge of placing road guides on the evening of Aug. 30 at the Marine base at Twentynine Palms.

During the military exercise “Rother wasn’t making it. He fell behind. He was suffering bad back pain and becoming a heat casualty,” Robertson testified.

He said Clyde told him the night of Aug. 30 he had placed Rother on an easy work detail, an apparent reference to the road guide assignment, in which Rother was to direct a convoy through the desert. He was not picked up when the exercise was over.

About 2 p.m. on Aug. 31, Robertson testified, he asked Turnell and a corporal where Rother was. Turnell said Rother was on a working party and the corporal said he would check on Rother, Robertson said.

Rother was not in his bunk at Camp Wilson when Robertson awoke on Sept. 1. Robertson said he reported Rother’s absence to Clyde, who said he would check.

At about 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 1, Robertson testified, Clyde told him Rother was missing.

Robertson said he knew Clyde tried to send Rother to the rear during the exercise to let Rother rest and that it was Clyde who determined Rother was missing. “He’s a leader and a good one,” Robertson said of Clyde.