FACTBOX-U.S. Marines charged in killings at Haditha
Source: Reuters
(Adds details on the four charged with murder) Dec 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. military charged four Marines on Thursday with murder and four others on related charges in the November 2005 deaths of 24 unarmed civilians in Haditha, Iraq. Here are the Marines charged: * STAFF SGT. FRANK WUTERICH, 26 - Charged with unpremeditated murder, soliciting another to commit an offense and making a false official statement. The squad leader, Wuterich was an athletic honor-roll student in high school who played with the marching band and wore a military-style crew cut. He is married with two children. Wuterich enlisted after his 1998 graduation from high school and was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when the Haditha incident occurred. * LANCE CPL. JUSTIN SHARRATT, 22 - Charged with unpremeditated murder. A soccer and hockey enthusiast who drives a jeep at home, Sharratt had long dreamed of enlisting in the armed forces. Sharratt, who grew up in Pennsylvania and Indiana, is single. * LANCE CPL. STEPHEN TATUM, 25 - Charged with unpremeditated murder, negligent homicide and assault. A single Marine from Oklahoma, Tatum was serving his second tour of duty when the Haditha killings occurred. During his initial tour, he saw heavy fighting at the battle of Falluja in 2004. Tatum signed up for a five-year tour of duty in 2003. * SGT. SANICK DELA CRUZ, 24, - Charged with unpremeditated murder and making a false official statement. A Chicago native, he had seen intense action in his first tour of duty in 2004, including during a battle at the An Najaf cemetery. A Marine Corps News article featured him as one of the unsung heroes of the Iraq war. He enlisted in 2002 with a commitment to the military through 2010. He was recent promoted to sergeant. * Lt. Col Jeffrey Chessani, 42 - Charged with dereliction of duty. * First Lt. Andrew Grayson, 25 - Charged with dereliction of duty, making a false official statement and obstruction of justice. * Capt. Lucas McConnell, 31 - Charged with dereliction of duty. * Capt. Randy Stone, 34 - Charged with dereliction of duty.
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