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December 3, 2006

Local man under scrutiny in Haditha case

Houston attorney defends lance corporal, saying no crimes committed

EDMOND — Military authorities soon might charge five Marines, including a 25-year-old lance corporal from Edmond, in the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in the city of Haditha just more than one year ago, according to a recent national radio news story. Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum is among the five men named in a Nov. 21 report by National Public Radio saying prosecutors are weighing whether to file charges of negligent homicide or murder. But Tatum’s attorney, Houston-based Jack Zimmerman, said he has a problem with reporters who get their information from anonymous sources or unnamed sources. “I don’t have any information that the story is correct or incorrect, but it’s possible that that might happen,” Zimmerman said. “I have no information that would confirm that. There were 13 people in that squad including the individuals (who) were wounded. But I don’t know where this reporter got the fact that only five of the remaining people would be sent forward.” Zimmerman has handled numerous high-profile military cases and is a former prosecutor and general court-martial trial judge in the Marine Corps. He said he was retained by Tatum on July 12. “We were told there would be charges the following week back then. The poor Tatum family was struggling and jumping through hoops to get civilian counsel because of that sense of urgency and here it is Dec. 1 and there’s no charge,” he said. On Nov. 19, 2005, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas was killed in Haditha in a roadside bomb attack on Marines from Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines. Afterward, 24 Iraqis, including 11 women and children, allegedly were killed by 12 Marines from the unit. The U.S. military began investigating the claims, and two captains and a lieutenant colonel were relieved of duty. In August, a commission reviewing the killings found probable cause for charging the Marines. On May 18, Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., said during a news conference the Marines “killed innocent civilians in cold blood.” “He should have known better,” Zimmerman said. “Especially of his former affiliation with the Marine Corps. He shouldn’t have made those comments. He makes it sound like he has accepted the insurgents’ view of what happened lock, stock and barrel and the facts don’t support that.” Zimmerman said Tatum and his fellow Marines responded to the attack the way they were trained to and committed no crimes whatsoever. “I think that most people would assume everybody in that squad that responded the way they were trained to respond would be investigated by an Article 32 to see if formal charges should be referred or not,” he said. Military authorities have investigated the events of that day and have compiled a 3,500-page report that has yet to be released. Zimmerman said he counseled his client to not talk with the media. A family member in Edmond declined to speak with The Edmond Sun on Thursday. But Zimmerman said there is one thing he wants to make clear about his client. “Lance Cpl. Stephen Tatum comes from a great family, a patriotic family that is proud of what he is doing for our country as I think we all should be. I think he is a good representative of Edmond.” (John A. Williams may be reached via e-mail at jwilliams@edmondsun.com.)

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