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A former US soldier was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse of an Iraqi girl and the killing of three other members of her family, authorities said.
Steven Green, 21, a former army private, could face the death penalty if convicted of the charges handed down by a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky.
He planned the murders and carried them out “in an especially heinous, cruel and depraved manner in that they involved torture and serious physical abuse to the victims,” the indictment said.
Green was one of five US soldiers who were alleged to have broken into a house near the Iraqi town of Mamudiyah on March 12 and raped a 14-year-old girl, then killed her and set fire to her body.
They allegedly killed the girl's mother, father, and six-year-old sister who were in another room.
The charges against Green include premeditated murder; murder in perpetration of aggravated sexual abuse; aggravated sexual abuse on a person under the age of 16; conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated sexual abuse; the use of firearms while committing violent crimes; and obstruction of justice.
“The potential statutory penalties for conviction of these offenses ranges from a term of years to life in prison to death,” the Justice Department said.
Green is scheduled to be arraigned on November 8.
Green served with the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq but was dishonorably discharged in May with a “personality disorder.” He was arrested by the FBI on June 30.
The case was one of a series of in which US servicemembers were accused of killing Iraqis, but the only one where the motives appeared unrelated to the conflict.
The victims identified in the indictment were Abeer Kassem Hamza Al-Janabi, Hadeel Kassem Hamza Al-Janabi, Kassem Hamza Rachid Al-Janabi and Fakhriya Taha Mohsine Al-Janabi.
The indictment said Green intentionally killed his victims after substantial planning.
He and the other soldiers changed clothes, left a traffic control point where they were assigned and walked to the Al-Janabi's house, the indictment said.
Green shot and killed six-year-old Hadeel, her father Kassem and mother Fakhriya, it said.
Green “and others known to the grand jury committed forcible sexual acts against Abeer Kassem Hamza Al-Janabi,” and Green shot and killed her, it said.
The army has referred four soldiers to court martial on murder, rape and other charges, two of whom face a possible death penalty.
