SAN DIEGO – The military equivalent of a preliminary hearing is set for Monday at Fort Carson, Colo., for an Army private accused of premeditated murder in the shooting death of a senior Taliban commander being held prisoner in Afghanistan.
Pfc. David W. Lawrence, 20, is accused of killing Mullah Mohebullah on Oct. 17 while assigned to guard duty at a detention center in the Arghandab district of Kandahar province. Lawrence allegedly shot the prisoner in the head with his M4 rifle.
Under military law, premeditated murder can carry the death penalty.
The death was announced by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who vowed to launch his own investigation. Karzai has repeatedly criticized NATO for what he has termed wanton use of deadly force.