CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : FT. ORD : Soldier Found Guilty of Murder

A soldier was convicted in a court-martial of murdering a Panamanian civilian while in Panama City in January with U.S. invasion forces. Army Pfc. Mark McMonagle, 20, of Philadelphia, was convicted of murder in causing the death of Leila Diaz de Panay, 50, who was struck by bullets in her home Jan. 25. The bullets were fired while McMonagle was helping stage a fake fire fight in order to cover the fact that co-defendant Sgt. Paul Finsel had lost his Army pistol in a nearby brothel. McMonagle was convicted after a two-day court-martial of murder, conspiracy, conspiring to obstruct justice, impeding an investigation and disobeying orders not to drink alcohol, have sexual contact with Panamanian women, load bullets or discharge a firearm in an endangering way. McMonagle, who could be sentenced to life in prison, is to be sentenced today. The court-martial of Finsel, 25, of Arkoma, Okla., begins Friday.