President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that he would be looking into the case of a former Green Beret officer who is facing a murder charge in the death of suspected bomb maker in Afghanistan in 2010.
Trump said he would review the case of Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn who, during his service in Afghanistan, was awarded the Silver Star for valor.
“At the request of many, I will be reviewing the case of a ‘U.S. Military hero,’ Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder,” Trump tweeted. “He could face the death penalty from our own government after he admitted to killing a Terrorist bomb maker while overseas.”
Who is Golsteyn and what are the charges he is facing? Here’s a look at the case:
Who is Golsteyn?
Golsteyn graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2002. After serving in other posts, he was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and commanded a team from the 3rd Special Forces Group in the Battle of Marja in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Golsteyn was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his actions during the battle. A Silver Star is two steps down from a Congressional Medal of Honor.
What is he alleged to have done?
On Feb. 20, 2010, a roadside bomb exploded in the Helmond Province killing two Marines — Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary and Lance Cpl. Larry M. Johnson — who were on patrol. The two had been working with Golsteyn’s Green Beret team.
According to Army documents, he and his team began searching homes near the site of the explosion, looking for the person who planted the bomb.
Golsteyn eventually found explosive materials that were thought to be those used to make the bomb, and he arrested the suspected bomb maker and took him back to his base
While the suspected bomb maker, "a male of apparent Afghan descent known as Rasoul," was at the base, he saw a Taliban tribal leader who was working with the American forces there.
The Army document said Golsteyn claimed the tribal leader became frightened that if the suspected bomb maker was released, he would report him to the Taliban and the Taliban would kill him.
Golsteyn believed likewise, the Army documents indicated, saying he had repeatedly said that others who had been arrested and sent to a detention center had been released and were again “shooting at my unit weeks later.”
It was decided later that day, however, that Rasoul would be released.
Golsteyn and another soldier escorted the man to his home, the document says, and instead of releasing him, Golsteyn shot and killed Rasoul and buried his body.
Hours later, Golsteyn returned to the man’s home and dug up the remains then burned them in a pit used to dispose of trash and classified documents.
How did this become public?
A military investigation was launched in 2011 when Golsteyn confessed to the killing during a polygraph test as part of a CIA job interview. The CIA informed the Army of what Golsteyn had said, and an investigation was launched.
What was the result of that investigation?
Golsteyn was stripped of his Silver Star and a Special Forces tab in April 2014. He was not charged because of a lack of physical evidence, military officials said. He was also issued a letter of reprimand.
What happened to reopen the investigation?
The Army opened a second investigation in late 2016 after Golsteyn appeared on Fox News Special Report titled, "How We Fight," and said in the interview that he did shoot and kill the suspected bomb maker.
What happens next?
As a result of the second investigation, Golsteyn was notified on Friday that he was being charged with murder. He will face an Article 32 hearing, likely in early 2019.
An Article 32 hearing is a U.S. Uniform Code of Military Justice proceeding that is similar a preliminary hearing in civilian law where it is determined whether the crime was committed and that the person accused of the crime committed the crime.
What does Trump have to do with it?
It is unclear what part Trump would play in the case. If Golsteyn is convicted of murder, he could face sentences up to the death penalty. Trump could pardon Golsteyn if he is convicted of a crime.
Some have argued that Trump's tweet will hurt the prosecution's efforts to try Golsteyn.
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