Documents Say Soldiers In Afghan Civilian Slayings Kept Grisly Trophies

More details have emerged in the case of five locally-based soldiers who are charged with killing Afghan civilians by shooting and blowing them up, and then mutilating the bodies earlier this year.

According to detailed charges KIRO 7 Eyewitness News obtained from the Pentagon, soldiers from the 5th Stryker Brigade of the second infantry division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord purposely kept grenades and mortar rounds, then used them to kill Afghan civilians, simply because they could.

Sgt. Calvin Gibbs was the alleged ringleader, reportedly joking about how easy it would be to "toss a grenade at someone and kill them,” documents said.

Five soldiers are charged with murdering three Afghan men and forming a "kill team". Documents said after blowing up and shooting the Afghans, they took photos of the bodies, along with trophies: Finger bones, leg bones and a skull, all found in the soldiers' possessions.

Dana Holmes, the mother of specialist Andrew Holmes, from Boise, Idaho, is one of many family members of accused soldiers who've gone on the offensive with web sites asking for donations to defend soldiers they insist are innocent.

Holmes says her son was coerced by his superiors

“I know my son well enough to know he didn’t do anything like that. His life was threatened and they also told him they would kill his family if Andy told anything,” said Holmes.

The charges said Holmes had the finger of an Afghan man he helped kill.

The soldiers are also accused of using hashish and conspiring to cover up what they'd done, in some cases, to the point of beating up fellow soldiers who were willing to expose the group, the documents said.

The five soldiers have been in custody in the brigs in the South Sound and in Bremerton since June. They may go before a judge for what are called Article 32 hearings as soon as the end of this month. The hearings are similar to grand jury proceedings, including testimony and presentation of evidence.

So far, no date is set for their trials.

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