U.S. soldier charged in death of contractor
A U.S. soldier has been charged with murder in the shooting of a foreign contractor last month at a base north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said Sunday.
Pfc. Carl T. Stovall III, 25, of Kennesaw, Ga., was taken into custody soon after the March 26 shooting at the U.S. base in Taji, about 12 miles north of Baghdad, the statement said.
A murder charge was formally lodged against him under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the statement added. It provided no further details of the shooting and did not identify the victim by name or nationality.
The victim was identified as a third-country national, meaning neither American nor Iraqi.
An agreement between the U.S. and Iraq that went into effect this year grants the U.S. sole jurisdiction over crimes allegedly committed by American soldiers at U.S. installations.
The U.S. statement said Stovall is assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, which is part of the 1st Cavalry Division from Ft. Hood, Texas.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
