At that point, in early May, Army investigators say that members of the platoon, urged on by a ringleader, Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs, had already killed three Afghans for thrills in the surrounding farming villages, where insurgents were said to be active.
In exchange for his agreement to testify against four other soldiers charged in the crimes, including the supposed ringleader, Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs, the government reduced Morlock's mandatory life sentence to 24 years, with the possibility of parole after approximately 8. The rest of the accused, who are still awaiting trial, contest the allegations against them.
According to the prosecutor's case, al-Ekri acted as the group's ringleader, organizing staff at Salmaniya to oppose the Bahraini government.
The family of Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs, the alleged ringleader, wouldn't talk to the paper; his parents wouldn't comment, and "a sister began to cry when she was asked about him and said her brother had requested that she not speak to reporters".
In the interviews and in his plea offer, the soldier claimed that a superior, Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs, was the ringleader in the killings.
As part of his plea on Wednesday, Specialist Morlock reasserted claims he had made earlier that another of the accused, a superior, Staff Sgt. Calvin R. Gibbs, was the ringleader in the killings.
— A lawyer for the Army staff sergeant accused of being the ringleader in the killings of three Afghan civilians tried to cast doubt on the charges Tuesday at a hearing that will determine whether the soldier faces a court-martial.
To juvenile detention staff he is an influential criminal "ringleader" who has bullied other inmates, fought guards and caused chaos.
Payton, the team's 37-year-old offensive coordinator, has been in the noisy and brightly lit offensive meeting room, where, as ringleader, he squiggles plays on a plastic board as the offensive staff shouts its critiques, pitches new ideas and suggests changes.
Dutton said on Tuesday food and water was "not being denied" by authorities, but there had been "some circumstances where ringleaders within the people who are in the processing centre have denied staff access into particular areas for the delivery of food".
The staff also said that it did not believe a widely circulated report from Czech intelligence that a ringleader of the Sept. 11 attacks met in Prague with an Iraqi intelligence officer in April 2001, suggesting Iraqi involvement in the attacks.
