News from Spangdahlem - The trial for US soldiers accused of homicide is set for September.
The upcoming trial for a US soldier stationed at the Spangdahlem Air Base, accused of murder at a carnival in Wittlich, has been rescheduled to begin on September 30th. This was announced by the base on Friday. The trial is expected to continue until October 11th at the Military Court. Initially, the trial date had been set for late May, but it was delayed due to unresolved matters between the prosecution and the defense, as well as the need to examine additional evidence.
The US soldier is being charged under American law for the fatal stabbing of a 28-year-old in Wittlich (district of Bernkastel-Wittlich) in August 2023. He has been accused of "unpremeditated murder," causing serious bodily harm with a dangerous weapon, and obstructing justice.
Given that this involves a US military dependent, the prosecution in Trier has transferred the case to the US authorities, as stipulated by the NATO Troop Status Agreement.
The accused will be tried in a general court-martial, the most severe proceeding for a military dependent, as previously announced by the air base. The man had been temporarily assigned to the 726th Air Transport Wing, which maintains aircraft and transports people and cargo on the ground.
