The US Army is still a bit quiet on the details, but on Wednesday, Staff Sgt. Alberto Martinez of the 42nd Infantry Division was charged with two counts of premeditated murder.
On June 7th, Captain Philip Esposito, 30, and 1st Lt. Louis Allen, 34, were killed while meeting in a Tikrit palace turned barracks. What was first thought to be “indirect fire” from enemy mortars that caused the demise of the soldiers, was later ruled out, and eyes turned toward Martinez.
A National Guardsman from Troy, NY, Martinez was a supply specialist in the Headquarters and Headquarters Company. Martinez could face the death penalty if convicted of the murder of the two top commanders in his unit.
Esposito and Allen were transported back to the United States to be buried by their families at home. Allen leaves behind a wife and four sons ages 1 to 6. Esposito is a West Point graduate and husband with an 18-month-old daughter.
The officers were killed around 10 PM Tikrit time on June 7th in a barracks called the “Water Palace” by troops. The barracks was once an elaborate palace of Saddam Hussein’s overlooking a man-made lake.
The Army’s first instinct was this was the result of “indirect fire” from an enemy mortar attack. But after examining blast patterns, that idea was quickly squashed. Some have speculated that it could have been the result of “fragmentation grenades” which have a similar shrapnel effect and are readily available to US soldiers.
It is unclear why Martinez allegedly would intentionally kill his superior officers.
“We don’t have an idea as to any motive at this time,” said Maj. Patrick Swan, a spokesman for the Multinational Force in Iraq.
