Baby -Faced Killer Escapes Justice....

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (AP) -- A soldier convicted of rape and murder in an attack on an Iraqi teenager and her family was sentenced Saturday to 110 years in prison.
The military says Pfc. Jesse Spielman will also be reduced in rank and be dishonorably discharged.





The sentence was part of a plea agreement attorneys for Pfc. Jesse Spielman had made with prosecutors.
It set the number of years he could serve in prison, regardless of the jury's recommendation.

The jury had recommended life with parole, a sentence under which he would have to wait longer for the possibility of parole. He will be eligible for parole after 10 years.
Spielman was convicted late Friday of rape, conspiracy to commit rape, housebreaking with intent to rape and four counts of felony murder.

Military prosecutors did not say Spielman took part in the rape or murders but alleged that he went to the house knowing what the others intended to do and served as a lookout.
Spielman, 23, of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, received the longest sentence of four soldiers who have been convicted. Three other soldiers pleaded guilty under agreements with prosecutors for their roles in the assault and were given sentences ranging from five to 100 years.

Spielman's grandmother, Nancy Hess, collapsed outside the courtroom after the verdict was read; prosecutor Maj. William Fischbach ran to her side and called 911. Soldiers in Spielman's unit fanned the woman with napkins.

Spielman's sister, Paige Gerlach, screamed: "I hate the government. You people put him [in --] and now, this happened."
Defense attorneys left immediately after the verdict was returned and could not be reached for comment.

Spielman had pleaded guilty on Monday to lesser charges of conspiracy to obstructing justice, arson, wrongfully touching a corpse and drinking. The 110-year sentence encompasses those crimes, too.
The case stemmed from the March 12, 2006, rape and slaying of Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, 14, and the killings of her parents and sister. The attack took place in --, about 20 miles south of Baghdad.

Prosecutors rested their case Thursday amid struggles to overcome a fellow soldier's recanting of a story that Spielman acted as a lookout.
Spc. James Barker said in earlier testimony that he had allowed investigators to draft sworn statements for him that implicated Spielman.

Barker testified Wednesday that several portions of the document were untrue, including references to Spielman's role in the conspiracy to attack the family and his knowledge of plans to rape the girl.
But Sgt. Paul E. Cortez testified that Spielman stood guard. Cortez said Spielman was within a few feet of the others as they held down the screaming girl and did nothing to stop them.
Barker, Cortez and another soldier, Pfc. Bryan L. Howard, pleaded guilty for their roles.

Steven D. Green, who was discharged from the Army before being charged, faces a possible death sentence when he is tried in federal court in Kentucky. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include murder and sexual assault.

Barker and Cortez gave investigators conflicting statements about whether Spielman knew of the plan to rape the girl and whether he was present when they discussed it over whiskey and gin, according to testimony.

During their courts-martial, Barker and Cortez testified they took turns raping the girl while Green shot and killed her mother, father and younger sister. Green shot the girl in the head after raping her, they said.

The girl's body was set on fire with kerosene to destroy the evidence, according to previous testimony.

And how do you figure this guy has escaped justice?

110 years.....and eligibility for `parole` in ten years??

Come now...we all know how that system works.

Ten REAL years in a military prison is a tough nut............personally, I think they should have been turned over to the Iraqi justice system......and they would be hanged.......but I don't think an absolute minimum of 10 years is exactly an escape.

Hey....these ass-holes are considered `heros` in the eyes of Americans and thier leaders. This sentence is a farce and they (the convicted) know it.

`ten` years of doing the same ****in thing they do every day and out of `dangers way` is a piece of cake for those nuts.

Welcome back Joe.

There's ten years and then there is ten years. Not sure which he'll be serving.

Deleted by #juan

Reason: racist material

Well, when we consider that he raped a young girl and then killed her, and her parents, and her sister, and then tried to hide his crimes, his sentence was bull$hit. He should have been given either the rest of his natural life in prison or been hung.. His sentence was a dreadful joke.

Can't believe it.

Yeah, 'cause Americans sentence all their heroes to 110 years in prison.

We'll have to meet back here in ten years and see what happens.

I think you had better explain yourself. I didn't delete your post...

People seem to be assuming that he'll get parole just because he's eligible. How often does that happen, any stats? 110 years pretty well constitutes the rest of his natural life in prison.

He gets out in ten years because that is the deal he made with the prosecutors on the plea bargain.

No, it says he will be elligible for parole PERIOD.

So how is this guy escaping justice though? He gets the same sentance he would at home (barring a death penalty state). Worse if you count the difference between military prison and non-military.

Unless your saying he should get the death penalty, which is a fine view to take..but kind of "glass house" considering in Canada we don't have it.

A US soldier convicted of rape and murder in connection with an attack on an Iraqi teenager and her family has been sentenced to 110 years in prison.

The sentence handed down is part of a plea agreement lawyers for Pfc Jesse Spielman had made with prosecutors that set the number of years he could serve in prison, regardless of the jury's recommendation.

The jury at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, had recommended life with parole, a sentence under which he would have to wait longer for the possibility of freedom.

He will be eligible for parole after 10 years.

He'll be out.

Maybe, maybe not. Either way, thats a similar sentance he'd get here, harsher in some cases.

I think in Canada he would get life with no chance of parole for twenty five years...That's what Bernardo got for killing two people.

Since I don't know what really happened I really can't comment... from the disputed facts presented it seems pretty grisly - just shows how much more horrendous war could be...
but how many instances arn't being heard? How many more to happen?


one less unit in iraq -

war has had disgrace after disgrace - this is just another.

No, he is up for parole in ten years - if he does not qualify for parole, he could be in jail for the rest of his life - and if he is released, he will be on parole for the rest of his life. . .

Also, read the article, he was the lookout, not the rapist or killer. I'm not saying that's any worse, but let's keep the facts straight.

Pangloss

Bernardo's rape spree involved the torture and rape of 4 women, 2 he was convicted of murdering. He also wasn't in a war zone. He was also a media spectacle. And in 25 years he is out. In 26 he won't be there, unlike someone in for 110.


Meanwhile, 1 accomplice rape and 4 3rd degree murders has a longer sentance at a harsher facility than 2 first degree murders and 4 rapes, including any torture charges. AND he entered into a plea Bargain.

SO really, compare his sentance to Homolka's sentance. 2 Murders and 4 rapes and torture got 12 years, 4 murders, 1 rape in a combat zone gets 110 years.

Im not saying he got less than he deserved, im saying we aren't one to point fingers and say he "got off scot free"

Paul Bernardo was convicted of two murders. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release for twenty five years. He was also judged to be a dangerous offender and his sentence is indefinite. He won't get out.

2 murders and videotapes of 4 rapes and tortures. Also evidence of previous murders.

And "He won't get out" is a little crazy isn't it? Your saying he won't make it out in 25 years for certain, but the other guy, he will, for certain, make it out in 10.

What are you basing this on again? Im guessing nothing but I could be wrong, if so enlighten me.

Karla Homolka got 12 years for doing everything Bernardo did, because she made a plea bargain.

This guy does less than Homolka and gets 110 years also on a plea bargain, and in a military prison to boot.

Nov. 2, 1995: Bernardo declared dangerous offender, jailed indefinitely. Admits 13 of 15 attacks blamed on Scarborough Rapist.

Exactly. Just like Charles Manson, Bernardo will be kept behind bars until the day he dies.