WASHINGTON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Marine Corps has ordered two more soldiers to stand trial for the 2005 deaths of 24 civilians in Haditha, Iraq.
Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland has ordered trials for Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich and 1st Lt. Andrew Grayson, bringing the total number of Marines ordered to trial for the incident to four, The (Escondido, Calif.) North County Times reported Tuesday.
Helland directed Wuterich to be tried on nine counts of voluntary manslaughter and charges of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, obstruction of justice and dereliction of duty.
Grayson faces charges of obstructing justice, lying to investigators and attempting to fraudulently leave the Marine Corps.
Wuterich led a squad from Camp Pendleton's 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment's Kilo Company during a door-to-door search of Iraqi civilian homes after a Nov. 19, 2005, suicide bombing that killed one Marine and injured two others.
Nineteen Iraqis, including several women and children, were killed during the searches. Five men who exited a car after the bomb detonated were also killed.
