CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) -- A former squad mate of a Marine implicated in the deaths of 19 Iraqis has testified that after a roadside bombing, the group raced to nearby homes, firing rounds and tossing grenades for 45 minutes even though the Marines did not take gunfire, cross a single insurgent or find a weapon.
Former Cpl. Steven Tatum gave his account Tuesday at the Camp Pendleton, Calif., trial of Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich, who faces nine counts of manslaughter for the deaths of civilians, including unarmed women and children, in the town of Haditha in 2005.
Wuterich of Meriden, Conn., is the last defendant in one of the biggest criminal cases against U.S. troops from the war.
The defense says Wuterich believed insurgents were in the homes. Tatum says he also feared that at the time.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)