A two-day preliminary hearing ended Tuesday at a Washington state base for a young soldier charged with participating in wanton killings of Afghan
civilians.
Andrew Holmes, a 20-year-old private from Boise, Idaho, is the youngest of five soldiers charged in the case, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported. All are members of the Army's 5th Brigade, 2nd
Infantry Division, stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Capt. Dan Mazzone, the prosecutor for the pre-trial hearing, said he did not have to present hard evidence at this time that Holmes
participated in any killings because the purpose of the procedure was to determine if there is enough evidence to hold him for court-martial. He said even if Holmes did not actually kill anyone he could still be held responsible if he was in on planning discussions.
Dan Conway, the defense lawyer, asked for photographs of a victim Holmes allegedly killed. He hopes to show his client's weapon could not have been used in the killing.
"I am completely powerless in an American legal proceeding to present to you evidence that would exonerate my client. That is a concept that is completely foreign to me," he said.
Holmes's father, Forest, who came from Boise, Idaho, for the hearing, said he was surprised by the "profound lack of evidence."
Military officials will now decide whether to proceed to court-martial, CNN reported.