Frank Wuterich Frank Wuterich ( born 1980 ) is a United States Marine . On November 19 , 2005 , he led his men in the Haditha killings , where he and fellow Marines opened fire , resulting in the death of 24 civilians , after a Marine had died in an insurgent attack . Originally charged with murder , the charges were later reduced to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault , and on January 23 , 2012 Wuterich pled guilty to a single count of negligent dereliction of duty as part of an plea agreement with military prosecutors . In exchange , all other charges were dropped . Wuterich was sentenced on January 24 and convicted to forfeiture of two - thirds of pay for three months and reduction in rank to private . Background . Wuterich grew up in Meriden , Connecticut . In Hawaii , he met and married former wife Marisol with whom he has three daughters . Wuterich was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when the Haditha incident occurred . Haditha incident . According to news reports Wuterich was the senior Marine on patrol ( no commissioned officers being present ) , and after the killings , allegedly lied to his commanding officers by stating that 15 of the dead Iraqi civilians were killed in the same IED explosion that touched off the incident . " Time " magazine has reported that military investigators had placed Wuterich in at least two of the houses in which the killings took place . On June 11 , 2006 , the " Washington Post " reported a detailed account of Wuterich ' s version of events as related through his attorney , Neal A . Puckett . Many news reports have contradicted Wuterich ' s version of events , claiming that the Marines entered several houses and deliberately killed civilians . Besides photographic evidence of the killings provided by Iraqi journalism student Taher Thabet , there was also testimony from a young Iraqi girl who survived by hiding . The girl described having watched the Marines shoot her family members systematically . The photographs and forensic evidence were later used to corroborate the Marines ' version of events . Since being named in news reports in connection with the killings , several of Wuterich ' s family members have spoken out in his defense . Wuterich ' s father , Dave Wuterich , told the Associated Press that “ I just don ' t believe that he [ Frank Wuterich ] would do something like that . ” Previously , Wuterich ' s former wife , Marisol , had praised Wuterich in blog postings . On June 19 , 2007 , Marisol Wuterich and her father - in - law were interviewed on Fox News Channel ' s " Hannity and Colmes " , both said that they back Frank Wuterich “ 100 percent ” . Captain James Kimber , Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey R . Chessani , and Captain Luke McConnell , according to a report by " The Times " on May 29 , 2006 , were all relieved of their duties on suspicion of inadequate reporting of or investigation into the Haditha incident . Unsuccessful defamation suit . On August 2 , 2006 , Wuterich filed a lawsuit against Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania for libel and invasion of privacy . Wuterich claimed that Murtha had defamed Wuterich ' s image by accusing the Marines of " cold blooded murder " with respect to the Haditha killings . On September 1 , 2007 , news outlets reported on a hearing of Sgt . Sanick Dela Cruz , a subordinate of Wuterich at the time of the Haditha incident , in which Dela Cruz testified against Wuterich . In September 2008 , District Judge Rosemary M . Collyer denied a motion to dismiss the suit and ordered Murtha to give a deposition in the case . However , on April 14 , 2009 , a three - judge panel of the U . S . Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned the order and dismissed the suit , ruling that the suit was barred by the Federal Employees Liability Reform and Tort Compensation Act of 1988 ( Westfall Act ) , which protects federal employees from being sued personally for actions done in the course of their official duties . De la Cruz testimony . Sergeant Sanick De la Cruz was on the mission that day . He agreed to testify for the prosecution in exchange for immunity . He changed the story he had previously told about the events of the day . In particular , his new story about the men in the white car differed from the version told by the defense and by forensic experts . On September 2 , 2007 , an updated re - airing of " 60 Minutes " , narrated by Scott Pelley , disclosed that Wuterich did not have to go to Iraq , but went because " he wanted to see war . " Pelley also revealed that all charges had since been dropped against Sanick De la Cruz and two others . De la Cruz recounted his story in an in - depth profile in the July 2008 edition of Chicago Magazine , speaking about the ordeal to a journalist for the first time . Legal proceedings . On December 21 , 2006 , the U . S . military charged eight Marines ( four enlisted and four officers ) in connection with the Haditha killings . The four enlisted , including Wuterich were charged with 13 counts of unpremeditated murder , while the officers were charged with covering up the killings and failing to investigate properly . Six of the cases were dropped and one officer was acquitted at court - martial . When announcing the charges , Colonel Stewart Navarre said , " We now know with certainty the press release was incorrect and that none of the civilians were killed by the IED explosion . " On September 3 , 2007 , the Article 32 hearing investigating officer , LtCol . Paul Ware , recommended that Wuterich should be tried for the lesser offense of negligent homicide in the deaths of two women and five children , and that charges of murder be dropped . Ware wrote : " I believe after reviewing all the evidence that no trier of fact can conclude Staff Sgt . Wuterich formed the criminal intent to kill . When a Marine fails to exercise due care and civilians die , the charge of negligent homicide , and not murder , is appropriate . . . The case against Staff Sgt . Wuterich is simply not strong enough to conclude he committed murder beyond a reasonable doubt . Almost all witnesses have an obvious bias or prejudice . " Wuterich was expected to be back in court to face nine counts of manslaughter in early 2010 , which would equate his sentence to 152 years in prison . Subsequently , a trial date was set for 12 April 2011 . In June 2011 , it was postponed again . The court martial finally took place in January 2012 . On 23 January 2012 , all jurors at his court martial were dismissed after SSgt Wuterich pleaded guilty to one count of " negligent dereliction of duty " in a plea deal , approved by LtGen . Waldhauser , the commander of Marine Forces Central Command , in which the charges of assault and manslaughter were dropped and Wuterich would avoid jail time but get a reduction in rank to Private and a pay cut . On January 24 , 2012 , the judge presiding over Wuterich ' s case convicted him accordingly .