[JURIST] US Marines Sgt. Lawrence G. Hutchins III will face court-martial [USMC press release] for his role in the April kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi civilian in Hamdania [USMC timeline; JURIST news archive], the US Marine Corps announced Tuesday. Hutchins faces charges [DOC text] of murder, kidnapping, larceny, assault, housebreaking, conspiracy, making a false official statement in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice [text]. Hutchins and seven other military personnel were originally charged [JURIST report] in June in the Hamdania incident, where military personnel allegedly left Hashim Ibrahim Awad [Wikipedia profile] by the side of the road with a shovel and AK-47 after they shot him, making Awad look like an insurgent. Military prosecutors will not seek the death penalty in the case.

Two Marines and a US Navy corpsman have already pleaded guilty [JURIST report] in the case, and a third Marine is expected to enter a guilty plea [JURIST report] next week. Marine Cpl. Marshall Magincalda has pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] to the charges against him and a second Marine, Cpl. Trent D. Thomas, entered a not guilty plea Tuesday. Those who have already pleaded guilty have named Hutchins as the mastermind [JURIST report] of the plan.