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Witness in Navy SEAL trial takes blame for killing

Posted June 21, 2019 7:00 am

By JULIE WATSON and BRIAN MELLEY

SAN DIEGO (AP) - A war crimes witness shocked the court at the murder trial of a decorated Navy SEAL when he said he killed a wounded Islamic State captive in Iraq in 2017 - not his accused platoon leader.

Prosecutors are expected to call more SEALs to testify Friday at the trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who is accused of fatally stabbing the adolescent militant.

The Navy says that it will not drop the murder charge despite Navy SEAL Corey Scott telling jurors Thursday that he suffocated the boy after Gallagher unexpectedly stabbed the patient. Scott says it was an act of mercy because Iraqis would have tortured him if he had survived.

The defense says disgruntled platoon members fabricated the murder accusation against Gallagher.

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Melley reported from Los Angeles.

This undated selfie provided by Andrea Gallagher shows her husband, U.S. Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with allegedly killing an Islamic State prisoner in his care and attempted murder for the shootings of two Iraq civilians in 2017. Gallagher is scheduled to go on trial Monday, June 17, 2019. (Edward Gallagher/Courtesy of Andrea Gallagher via AP, File) The Associated Press

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