Hamner also is charged with dereliction of duty and making false official statements. The girl died in April 1998 after going to Walter Reed for treatment of a benign cyst on her neck. The Army has alleged that Hamner killed the girl by improperly administering an antibiotic, failing to call promptly for assistance when she went into cardiac arrest and lying about the circumstances to doctors trying to save her. According to documents obtained by The Washington Post the Army is investigating allegations that officials at Walter Reed failed to properly handle the case after the girl's death. Under military law, involuntary manslaughter would have required prosecutors to prove Hamner guilty of a culpable disregard for the foreseeable consequences of his actions.
Negligent homicide involves establishing simple negligence.
Involuntary manslaughter is punishable by 10 years in prison, while negligent homicide has a penalty of up to three years. Copyright 2001, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Please read it.