Army rebuts reports on 'negligent homicide'

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Army rebuts reports on 'negligent homicide'
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Online edition, Friday, January 23, 2009

ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command is rebutting media reports that it has found a contractor negligent in the death of a Green Beret, who was electrocuted in a shower while in Iraq.

The Associated Press first reported Thursday that in a document it obtained, an investigator said the cause of death for Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth had been changed to “negligent homicide” because KBR Inc. failed to ensure that “quality electricians and plumbers” worked on Maseth’s barracks.

But CID has not made a final determination on the case, said CID spokesman Christopher Gray on Friday.

The document in question was an e-mail from a CID agent to Maseth’s mother to provide an update on the case, Gray said.

He said the agent “misspoke” about the manner of Maseth’s death. CID does not have the authority to change the manner of death – that falls under the purview of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60208