A brutal massacre and a shocking truth in Iraq | Forensic Files

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this episode details atrocities committed against men women and children it is graphic in nature and won't be
suitable for all listeners located in the rural sense wept hamlet of do part in central Iraq was a five acre Orchard
lined with pomegranate and date trees grape vines and various desert resistant crops at the front of the spacious
property was a dirt driveway that led to a one-story tan colored concrete farmhouse it
featured a kitchen living space bathroom and a single bedroom interconnected by a
narrow hallway each room was fully furnished with basic well-worn furniture cramped but homely the outside a
staircase led up to the building's flat roof with a view of the surrounding country landscape a desert patchwork of
palm trees wild grass and dry sandy flat lands intersected by long dirt roads neighboring buildings were few and far
between some were empty others were in stages of construction it was a quiet isolated and sparsely populated area if
you didn't have a reason to go there he wouldn't even know it existed but the year 2000 the orchards owner was
relocating 40 kilometers north to the capital city of Baghdad as he didn't want to sell his rural property he
offered to pay $50 per month to anybody willing to tend to the farm in his absence to mitigate the low pay he also
offered rent-free living and he's furnished a farmhouse and a cut of profits from the sale of his harvest
each season the job offer piqued the interest of Qasim Janabi Qasim was looking for long-term reliable work to
support his growing family his wife thakura had recently given birth to a healthy baby girl they named her deal
additionally the couple also had two sons ahmed and muhammad into their oldest child a daughter a beer at the
time the Janabi family were living in the rural town of you Sofia almost 40 kilometers southwest of Baghdad there
they were close to the support network of FAC Rio's extended family when Carson purchased a used motorcycle of a
relative for $20 and wasn't capable of paying off the debt the relative graciously let it go everyone wanted to
help the Janabi family and did so without expecting anything in return Carson picked up work where he could but
it was mostly low-paying sporadic jobs in farming and construction in the meantime the family moved between
properties throughout town trying to find somewhere they could afford with their low income but no place ever felt
like home life was tough but the Genovese were always in good spirits Carson and Thackeray are looked to the
future with optimism they share dreams of owning a spacious family house and hoped to send their children to college
one day there was this need to provide their family with a better future that attracted the couple to the job offer at
the orchard property in two but the move would sever the network of support the family had come to rely on but the
stable income and rent-free house convinced gassim and [ __ ] we are that was worth the risk they packed their few
belongings said their goodbyes and moved their family to the dubai tortured it was cramped living in the farmhouse for
the family of six but they made the most of it each day fukrey are maintained to
the house whilst the Janabi children would go outside and play hide and seek or kick soccer balls in the farmland
nearby Carson toiled under the blazing Desert Sun tending to the acres of crops eventually his hard work paid off come
harvest he'd sell the produce at local markets and with his half cut of the profits netted his family upwards of an
extra $30 friends and family of the Genovese visited and noted how well the family's ain't settled into their new
lifestyle for the Genovese the entire world had shrunk to the size of a few dusty crop fields and an old square
farmhouse it wasn't the big spacious family house they dreamed of but it was home
I felt safe there [Music] but 2003 Iraq's government led by President Saddam Hussein had been during
international condemnation the near decade-long iraq-iran war during the 1980s and the Gulf War only a few years
later had bled Iraq's resources and people draw Husein was also known to repress internal dissidents with torture
and killings earning him the reputation as an enemy of the free world accusations he was researching and
stockpiling chemical weapons as he had done so a decade earlier put Iraq under further intense global scrutiny the
president of the united states of america george w bush believed the hussein regime posed the growing danger
to the rest of the world on the night of March 17 2003 President Bush publicly gave her sane an ultimatum leave Iraq
within the next 48 hours or experience the full might of the United States military the sane ignored the order
three days later on March 20 2003 President Bush made good on his threat the American military conducted a
surprise invasion of Iraq and a code named Operation Iraqi Freedom US and Allied forces pressed forward into the
flat plains of Iraq's Western Desert charging along the immense sandy stretches towards the capital city of
Baghdad to confront her saying violent resistance from Hussein loyalists resulted in three weeks of intense
battle before Baghdad finally fell on April 9 ending Hussein's 24-year rule once the dust of the battle had settled
Saddam Hussein was nowhere to be found he'd escaped the city and gone into hiding the subsequent search for the
president of Iraq quickly became one of the biggest manhunts in the world by December 2003 Intel suggested Hussein
may be found in a rural village of at du'a approximately 150 kilometers northwest of Baghdad
under the cover of darkness on the night of December 13 600 US military personnel
raided the target area however the wanted president was still nowhere to be found
[Music] whilst in the process of being extracted from the target area a u.s. infantryman
randomly kicked at a pile of rubble on a map to his surprise the mass slid away revealing a small narrow hole in the
earth squeezed inside was Saddam Husein disheveled and exhausted he surrendered immediately Hussein was tried in an
Iraqi Court for crimes against humanity specifically for his involvement in the Dajjal massacre in 1982 where he
orchestrated the executions of 148 dissenters the torture of women and children and to the illegal arrest of
399 people the scene was found guilty and executed by hanging on December 30 2006 pro-american Iraqis and the local
population who bore the brunt of his Saints tyranny celebrated his death but supporters and admirers of Hussein
viewed him as a martyr to the world's superpower and were irritated at America's involvement and influence in
the politics of their homeland a violent civil war arose between the two opposing
groups and branched off into multiple sectarian conflicts throughout the land in an attempt to stabilize the conflict
ridden country and clean up Hussein's legacy the United States and its allies maintained a military presence in Iraq
but that prolonged presence in the foreign country as well as their interference in the civil war only
fueled the conflicts they were constantly clashing with local insurgents who perceived outside of
military intervention as an invading force the civil war amplified over time and continued on for years after
Hussein's execution Iraq deteriorated into deadly and destructive lawless chaos casualties of
war reached into the thousands on all sides considerations the US should pull their military out from the embattled
country began however the situation was becoming more complicated by the day u.s. politicians were confident they
were capable of securing the situation they believed with utmost certainty that our light forces would eventually
suppress the violence in Iraq and bring peace safety and freedom to its people the crime and violence the flared after
Hussein's capture quickly trickled south into the open rural landscape where it was much harder to contain the constant
fighting had turned the once vibrant rural towns and villages into no-go zones scared residents had withdrawn
into their homes rubble from destroyed buildings was piled along the streets power had been lost by constant targeted
attacks on regional power plants roads were potholed from explosives the thunderous roar of explosions and the
piercing crack of bullets had become a regular backdrop to daily life locals seen out in about one day would
disappear the next the Janabi family were now surrounded by this constant danger carcinogen are be legally armed
himself with an ak-47 assault rifle which he kept hidden behind a curtain by the bedroom window American military
permitted H Iraqi civilian family to own one ak-47 with 30 rounds of ammunition as a means of self-defense
during this chaotic time Carson tried his hardest to bring his family a sense of normality and joy when
the roads were cleared of explosives he'd take his children on car rides to the market at night he would help his
sons with their homework Fakhri r was equally supportive despite the circumstances it wasn't safe for her to
work outside of the home so everyday she stayed inside cleaning preparing food and taking care of their youngest
daughter six-year-old her deal her deal had grown into a curious and bubbly girl
she loved circling the exterior of the farmhouse peeking and munching on the edible sweet tasting old grass the tune
Arby's felt safe knowing there was a manned United States military checkpoint only two hundred meters from where they
lived there was a static traffic control point known as traffic control point too
responsible for keeping constant guard of a main road leading to and from the nearby town of use of fear each morning
at daybreak the American soldiers stationed the traffic control point to swept the roads for buried bombs
insurgents may have planted overnight they performed the daily security patrols of the surrounding area
conducted searches of homes questioned locals and stopped suspicious vehicles when the genovese eldest daughter
Herbie attended to the front garden she'd say the American soldiers performing their routine security checks
and foot patrols sometimes that would notice a beer too small and give her a thumbs up March 12 2006 was almost three
years to the day when the US military arrived in Iraq to capture Saddam Hussein the near 14 year old a beer
Janabi watched as her younger brother's 11 year old Muhammad and annoying year-old Ahmed left for school the
decision was made by her parents that a beer would no longer attend school it was far too dangerous for their girl
militants had been targeting local schools and a young vulnerable women had been threatened kidnapped and killed by
the worst of them by midday that day March 12th Mohamed and Ahmed were at school a beer and her
mother were inside in the kitchen and Carson was outside keeping an eye on her deal who was head down in the front
garden pulling out bunches of sweet wild grass to eat school was out by 3:30 p.m. that
afternoon it had been an uneventful day for the Janabi brothers after they farewelled their classmates they started
the walk home together by 4:00 p.m. Mohammed and Ahmed reached the dirt track leading up to their farmhouse
excitement to be home quickly turned to panic when they noticed the thick cloud of white smoke billowing out from the
living-room window their parents and sisters were nowhere to be seen [Music] sergeant Anthony Arabia of the US
military Bravo Company 1st battalion 500 and second Regiment of the 101st airborne was stationed at traffic
control point 1 on March 12 2006 traffic control point 1 was a large-scale checkpoint situated across a main
transit road just outside of Yusuf air it was a sturdy two-story building that acted as the main headquarters for all
the other traffic control points in the region there were around a dozen Iraqi and American military personnel posted a
traffic control point one who was nearing late afternoon when news reached sergeant Uribe of a situation unraveling
at a civilian farm property a few kilometers away in dooba 22 year-old Anthony URI be originally from Idaho
joined the United States military a days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks tall broad-shouldered and strong he cut the
figure of an ideal infantryman this was his second tour of Iraq his first in occurring a year earlier in January 2005
Arabia had hardened into a stoic level-headed soldier with a magnetic ability to take command of other
soldiers in stressful situations younger less-experienced soldiers who looked up to you Raby as a shining
example of what they aspired to become in return he was fiercely loyal to his troops yuri be agreed to lead a team of
american soldiers to the farming to bomb to canvass the area and investigate the
situation unfolding there he radioed traffic control point to the smaller scale checkpoint located only a few
hundred meters away from the objective area he ordered soldiers of traffic control
point to to gear up and get ready to escort him on Patrol when Yuri B arrived a short time later
to traffic control point to specialist promotable Paul Cortez and private first class
Jesse Spillman were dressed head-to-toe in full battle gear with rifles in hand ready to go 23 year-old Paul Cortez from
California was also in the midst of his second tour of Iraq he was the most senior soldier at traffic control point
two at the time and had recently been put in charge of the checkpoint and the five other US soldiers stationed there
unlike sergeant anthony yuri b who had adapted under the ongoing pressure into a successful and well respected leader
cortez struggled and was seen as an inconsistent average soldier his career bogged down with infractions for
fighting drinking alcohol and drug possession Cortez was eventually shipped out to the isolated traffic control
point to where it was believed there was little opportunity for him to find trouble but every opportunity for him to
knuckle down and reform his reputation 21-year old Jesse Spielman from Pennsylvania was a recent addition to
traffic control point to having only arrived just days earlier he'd been in Iraq for seven months and
in the military since completing high school another sudden sign up after 9/11 quiet and make Spillman was a good
dutiful soldier who followed orders without question or complaint [Music] approximately an hour had passed by the
time you Reba Squad arrived to the farm the smell of smoke lingered in the humid
air but whatever fire there had been was extinguished up a short dirt path ahead
was a 10 concrete square farmhouse with barred windows and a flat roof a small civilian crowd had gathered around the
building Iraqi soldiers among them exchanging anxious whispers sergeant Yuri B was notably Stern straight faced
and focused when approaching the building he commanded his squad quickly and efficiently as they swept through
the farmhouse performing the building clearance they rushed down the corridor of the house shouting and kicking down
doors with their weapons raised but there were no hostiles waiting for them clinging to the air was a foul odor of
smoke propane and bird-meat with the building secured the shocking reality of what happened inside became
clear inside the bedroom they discovered the body of an older female laying on her
back by the door or as wide and unmoving blood pooled around her body from a gaping bullet wound in her back in one
of the back corners of the bedroom was an older male facedown his body and the wall closest to him covered in blood he
had been shot in the head a similar wound was found on the body of a female child laying clothes boy no older than 6
her pink dress was stained with blood a bunch of wild grass stuck in her rigid fists the horror didn't end there
another gruesome discovery was made in the living room the body of a teenage female was face-up in the corner of the
room beneath a window her head and chest had been burned to ash a relative of the
household explained he arrived shortly after the alarm was raised he entered the house just to extinguish the fire
but did nothing else but putting out the fire the lower half of the victims body
remained preserved and unburnt her dress had been lifted up to her neck and her undergarments were on the floor nearby
she had been raped the three bodies discovered inside the bedroom were identified as 45 year old Carson Janabi
his wife 34 year old [ __ ] ER and their six year old daughter had ill the partially burnt body discovered in the
living room was their 14 year old daughter a beer specialist promotable Paul Cortez was overwhelmed by the
horrific scene and spent most of his time outside dry-heaving sergeant anthony yuri be maintained his
characteristic level-headedness and continued on with the grim job of investigating the crime scene tailed by
private Jesse Spellman for two hours they moved through the house photographing the crime scene
sketching maps at the layout inspecting the victims wounds and searching for anything left behind by those
responsible the murder weapon was believed to have been the ak-47 assault rifle that the
family legally owned and kept in the bedroom of their house several ak-47 shell casings were found throughout the
building but the weapon itself was missing nothing else within the house appeared or been tampered with or taken
a medic tended to the bodies inside the sergeant Yuri B began carefully shifting
furniture around to look for evidence after flipping over a bed yuri be found a green shotgun shell casing underneath
he called out to Cortese who was still outside overcoming his nausea when Cortez entered the bedroom Yuri be
pointed out the shotgun shell on the floor Cortez collected the show and the two meticulously scanned the remainder
of the room looking for more shells but there was only the one the two surviving
two Nobby sons mohamed and ahmed were inconsolable they were taken away from the scene by relatives an Iraqi
translator walked amongst the civilian crowd outside seeking information on the private lives of the genovese many of
the locals were apprehensive to answer personal questions and were not forthcoming with information
gradually details emerged depicting the genovese is conservative and respectable
who were close to their extended family but otherwise kept to themselves no suspects were seen around if they do not
be property prior to at the time of or after the attack of particular significance was the personal attack of
Abby rike was a sensitive topic in the conservative culture meaning few people were willing to openly acknowledge and
discuss it to those who knew her a beer was a Wallflower an ordinary teen observant but introverted she was tall
for her age lanky and suffered from asthma she daydreams a bright future getting an education marrying a good man
and moving to a big city good-natured and polite she was according to her aunt proud to be young the attempt to burnaby
his body suggests that her attacker may have wanted to cover their tracks and destroy evidence however due to the lack
of resources available in the midst of war-torn rural Iraq a thorough investigation of the crime scene was
impossible the Iraqi military didn't have the knowledge or means to perform comprehensive police work such as
collecting DNA or fingerprints sergeant URI B was compiling enough details to complete a report on the matter but
those little more his troops could do they just didn't have the resources there were no witnesses to the crime
either or at least none who were willing to speak the Sun had almost set when you
Rea B and his team emerged from the house through their observations they could only offer one explanation for the
killings the Janabi property was located on the western edge of an area of land u.s. soldiers had nicknamed the triangle
of death the triangle of death was a map Goudy area 30 kilometers south of Baghdad starting at the city of mut
medea to the north the rural town of Yusuf air to the west and the city of Musa Abe to the south life and
experiences for Bravo Company during their time in the triangle of death is further detailed in Jim Frederick's book
black hearts the region within the triangle of death had earned the reputation as the most hostile area in
the country it was a centralized unrestrained battleground for the Civil War dudewitz proximity to Baghdad inside
the triangle massive waves of sectarian violence led to atrocities on all sides of the battle explosive mortars rained
from the sky killing anything within a 20 meter radius rocket-propelled grenades collapsed buildings leveling
entire townships unsuspecting victims triggered hidden bombs buried along roads militiamen sped utility vehicles
across the experience of flat cracked desert and propped up in the back tray were large automatic weapons firing
indiscriminately any civilian social gathering no matter how small or inconspicuous was a potential target for
suicide bombers as were police stations power plants oil refineries gas stations
markets and military checkpoints deadly gunfights between insurgents and the military were commonplace hundreds
of attacks per week occurred within the triangle of death cord in the middle where hundreds of rural towns and
villages the homes - approximately 1 million Iraqi civilians civilians were constantly threatened and brutalized by
insurgents who maintained control through fear each morning the Rising Sun revealed the death and destruction from
the night before dumping canals part beside roads and dug in shallow graves were the victims of late-night
executions the violence was indiscriminate and unpredictable and for those inside the triangle of death there
was little opportunity all means to escape at the Janabi farmhouse on the western edge of the triangle of death
the US soldiers concluded that the slaughter was committed by insurgents it carried the typical hallmarks of an
insurgent crime the brazen opportunistic nature execution-style killings and willingness
to murder children as well as the odd timing of the attack occurring in the middle of the day employing the killers
held no fear of being seen heard were interrupted it was unknown whether that Genovese had any direct or indirect
links to militias fighting in the area most civilians had an investment in the Civil War but it didn't necessarily mean
they participated in the fighting they may have supported their chosen militias in other ways it also wasn't uncommon
for civilians to be threatened into actively or passively assisting insurgents the Genovese isolated
unassuming farmstead would have been seen as the ideal place to stockpile weapons or for use as a safe house or
hideout Hut Carson refused the demands of militiamen and was this his punishment
every day the military confronted the aftermath of the brutal acts committed by insurgents on the civilian population
abductions tortures massacres executions rapes mutilations decapitations of men women and children so frequent many
soldiers had become desensitized to the horror that appeared the Genovese had crossed paths with these ruthless
insurgents relatives of the Janabi family had similar thoughts they couldn't comprehend that anyone in their
local community was capable of committing such a senseless and vicious massacre as news of the killing spread
locally so did the accusations every local militia group was blamed other theories suggest that the murders were
the outcome of a feud unpaid debt or personal vendetta the following day the bodies of Qasim fukrey are a beer and a
deal were buried together in a private area of desert near the farmhouse they had called home as days weeks and months
passed the Janabi family massacre was forgotten in the fog of war sergeant Anthony UAB had submitted his report on
the matter and that was the end of the US military's involvement hope of justice for the slaughtered family faded
whoever murdered Qasim and fukrey our and their two defenseless daughters a beer and her deal had gotten away with
it on the evening of June 16 2006 96 days after the murder of the Janabi family United States Army Specialist David
Babineaux and private first class Thomas Tucker were preparing for a long shift on guard duty together 25-year old David
Babineaux from Massachusetts predicted in his high-school yearbook that in 20 years time he'd be a five-star general
in the United States Army before that summer was over Babineaux had enlisted in May 2006 he was reaching the end of
his second tour of Iraq and was preparing to head back home to his wife and children then the news came through
that his tour of duty was being extended indefinitely Babineaux visited home briefly and
gifted his three children camouflaged clad teddy bears but almost immediately he was saying goodbye and in what felt
like the blink of an eye he was back in his camo carrying his rifle and beginning his indefinite stretch in the
triangle of death 25-year old Thomas Tucker from Oregon never anticipated he'd wind up in the military
prior to enlistment his life felt out of focus and his job in construction left him feeling unfulfilled wanting to do
something positive with his life he joined the military in July 2005 Tucker was a softie at heart a talented piano
player who loved spending lazy weekend's fishing and tinkering with his Chevy pickup by June 2006 Tucker had been in
Iraq for five months and had already made an impact as an enthusiastic soldier fully dedicated to his job On
June 16 2006 Babineaux and Tucker were guarding an armored vehicle launch bridge near the tiny village of joyful
Saco about 25 kilometers south of Yusuf Air the armored vehicle launch bridge was a military engineering vehicle that
featured a long flat metal platform that could be rapidly deployed to create a makeshift bridge across gap type
obstacles at the time the vehicle launch bridge was situated on the edge of the Euphrates River a wide marshy canal that
cut through the center of Iraq and led all the way to the Persian Gulf also on post that night with Babineau and taco
was private first class Christian menchaca menchaca was entrusted on to guard the outpost at that time he'd
volunteered to take the shift so another soldier could have the night off for his
birthday 23 year old Christian menchaca from Texas was a quiet humble man from a
close-knit mexican-american family when men chocker announced that he planned to
enlist in the army his family initially tried to talk him out of it he wouldn't like it they insisted but man Chaka was
determined scoring high on his entrance test and convincing his family that maybe he was right for the military
after all however on a visit home during his Iraq deployment menchaca was visibly
nervous jittery and struggled to sleep he'd also developed the habit of chain-smoking
finally admitting to his family that life in Iraq had been difficult men Chaka was dreading going back Babineau
taka and dementia cos outpost consisted of a Humvee vehicle that the three men occupied one in each of the front seats
and two one spread out in the backseat there was an inn efficiently designed outpost with no sense of safety no Road
barriers or any early warning devices were set up more Humvees and guards were supposed to be present but they had
moved on to other checkpoints resources and manpower was spread dangerously thin
in the triangle of death the three soldiers wearily surveyed the dark desert farmlands from behind the
windshield they'd been warned to remain alert the night before insurgents had hit the
outpost with gun and RPG fire no one was seriously hurt and strangely the insurgents fled the
fight almost immediately but so far the June 16 night shift had been quiet for the three US soldiers there was no sign
of the insurgents from the before at approximately 750 p.m. two separate US military outposts reported
hearing a torrent of gunfire erupted from the direction of the armored vehicle launch bridge our post it was
initially thought the gunfire was caused by Babineaux and the others probably shooting aimlessly to scare away
suspicious persons in the area but when a deep explosion echoed across the desert plains they knew the armored
vehicle launch bridge was taking insurgent RPG fire once again an attempt to establish radio comms with Babineaux
Tucker and dementia akka was met with silence troops from surrounding checkpoints poured into vehicles and
quickly descended on the air post to provide backup they sped along the dirt road towards the secluded outpost
suddenly vehicles screeched hakuna Brock told head lights illuminated several oil
drums suspected to be IEDs placed across the center of the road but upon careful
inspection the oil drums were confirmed to be harmless the realization setting this was a well-planned and coordinated
attack the oil drum decoys were a distraction that delayed backup from reaching the armored vehicle launch
bridge outpost the seemingly pointless attack on the outpost the night before had actually been a test the real attack
had just occurred specialist Babineaux and two privates Tucker and him in charka were in serious danger
first responders arrived to the armored vehicle launch bridge outpost at around 8:15 p.m. the area was quiet the attack
already over peppered around at the Humvee were hundreds of shell casings large splatters of blood painted the
ground on top of the Humvees hood were two US military brand m4 rifles both the Humvees right-hand side doors were wide
open neither Babineau tucker or men charkha were inside signs of their presence remained two though including H of their
helmets a packet of skittles candy and a PlayStation Portable handheld gaming system they hadn't released a mayday
signal none of their weapons had fired a single bullet and the Humvees gun turret
was still locked the road was cordoned off as troops swept the surrounding area for the three missing soldiers they
shouted into the darkness calling out the names of Babineaux taka and dementia Kaka there was no response
a soldier trudged 30 meters along the marshy banks of the canal and discovered the body of specialist David Babineaux
facedown in a tangle of weeds vámanos upper body had been shredded by bullets the expectation was that
Tucker's and men charkas bodies would be found somewhere close by however as the
search radius expanded further and further from the Humvees location neither Tucker almond charkas bodies
were spotted a local Iraqi farmer whose field overlooked the armored vehicle launch bridge a post came forward having
witnessed the ambush he said that seven masked the gunmen one carrying a machine
gun swarmed the Humvee before it could move off they pummeled the vehicle with hundreds of bullets killing Babineaux in
the driver's seat but Tucker and menchaca were taken alive by the insurgents dred swept over the
troops TOC current menchaca were alive and in the hands of the enemy emotions ran high as a feverish search for Thomas
Tucker and Christian menchaca began within the first five hours troops had meticulously canvassed three objective
areas in the vicinity of the attack site but found no clues to the whereabouts of
the kidnapped soldiers the desperate search continued throughout the night and into the following day then finally
a startling discovery along a straight stretch of dirt road leading to an abandoned non-functional
power plant with several bloody drag marks along the drag marks were torn up pieces of a US military body armor vest
a comprehensive search of the power plant led to a white pickup truck being found in sawed in the trucks flatbed was
a pool of thick blood pitaka and menchaca was still nowhere to be found private first class Justin what was
stationed at the US Army's Forward Operating Base in the rural city of MOC media on the northern point of the
triangle of death when news head of the abduction of Thomas Tucker and Christian
menchaca 23 year-old Justin what from South Carolina joined the military in 2004 after a bad relationship breakup
he'd always held great respect for the military as his father had served in the Vietnam War Justin's father was somewhat
surprised that his son's desire to join the military nobies three children Justin was the sensitive and
introspective one the least likely person to seek combat nevertheless what arrived in Iraq in 2005 and was sent to
the front lines in the triangle of death [Music] each new morning was like a spin of a
rule that will of what horrors they'd be facing that day would a bear squad made
accidentally triggering a concealed explosive an urban gunfight inside the unfamiliar maze-like rural cities a
suicide bomber wiping out an entire neighborhood with the flick of a switch the split-second moral dilemma whether
to kill the child strapped with explosives a car bomb detonated at a school local
soccer match funeral or police recruitment drive the Iraq war was insidious trust between occupying
military and Iraqi civilians was fragile it was near impossible for soldiers the
pker civilian from an insurgent one moment a good natured civilian would be casually approaching a US soldier to say
hello the next there'd be a knife deep in the soldier's neck Bravo Company lost on average about one soldier per week
the approximate stats at the time was that one out of every three soldiers were killed and one out of every two was
wounded morale was at an all-time low US military bases our posts and checkpoints
were a mess of Grom and clutter due to the indifference of highly strong soldiers focused purely on survival
many never left the safety of their posts patrols had become quick drive-bys of objective areas with the main goal to
return back to the base as quickly as possible don't make eye contact with the Iraqi locals new arrivals were warned
don't stop and talk to anyone fire bullets of anything that seemed to remotely suspicious civilians walking
too close to our posts cars driving too slow or too fast rustling bushes people in the rear trays of trucks full wheel
drive vehicles with tinted windows or anyone reaching under their clothes private first class Justin what was
profoundly impacted by the abduction of Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca imagery of his two squad mates being
tortured consumed his daily thoughts when he managed to sleep he had recurring nightmares of dead Iraqi
children or slain soldiers likely staring at him and whispering dying words he could barely hear whilst
thousands of soldiers were out looking for Tucker and menchaca what was sitting with his team leader
sergeant Anthony Uribe the two traded fond stories of Tucker and menchaca to raise their spirits sergeant you rabies
seemed too lost in troubled thought during one conversation he suddenly asked what do you remember that family
that got murdered back in March it had been a long time since Justin what heard anyone talking about the gruesome Janabi
family Massacre sergeant UAB had led the squad who investigated the quadruple murder at the
time he publicly concluded insurgents most likely killed the father mother and two young daughters but sergeant UAV was
carrying a secret he told Justin what that he no longer believed that the killings were committed by Iraqi
insurgents he now suspected they were committed by one of their own a member of the United States military
what had no reason to doubt you Raby who was far from the type who to make up or
lie about something so serious but who amongst his military brothers would commit such a cruel and senseless murder
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case file twenty-one-year-old Stephen green from Texas joined to the US Army shortly
after a four-day stint in jail for his third misdemeanor news of a failing endless war in the Middle East had
resulted in a recruitment shortfall for the military troop numbers in Iraq were dwindling by the day and there were not
enough people signing up to replace them so the military started granting moral character waivers to those with
histories of juvenile delinquency and minor criminal charges people with recorded behavioral problems who would
otherwise be rejected for military service would now have the opportunity to sign up Stephen green wasn't the type
one would consider an honorable military candidate he was a loner in troublemaker
who started fights and who coped with stress with drugs and alcohol with a rap sheet of convictions going back to his
teenage years Stephen greens options were limited so he took the military up on their offer
by the end of 2005 Stephen green was officially a private first class with Bravo Company patrolling the Iraqi
countryside in the triangle of death on December 10 2005 Green's unit was maintaining a traffic checkpoint an
Iraqi civilian considered by soldiers to be a friend and trusted informant approached 32 year-old sergeant Kenneth
kausika kohsaka greeted the men the two exchanged the seemingly friendly back-and-forth conversation in both
Arabic and English in the midst of their harmless conversation the Iraqi civilian
pulled out a nine-millimeter handgun lifting it quickly towards Kousaka he pulled the trigger
Kousaka was shot in the neck and fell to the ground 41 year-old Sergeant Travis Nelson
sitting on a stool near boss smoking a cigarette took a bullet to the back of his head seconds later the armed Iraqi
civilian continued firing Stephen green threw sergeant Casilla on the hood of a Humvee and shielded his superior from
the gunfire the Humvee took off towards a field hospital private Stephen green later told a war correspondent for the
Washington Post quote we were going 55 miles an hour and I was hanging on to him I was like sergeant Casey Kerr
sergeant Casey Kerr he just moved his eyes a little bit I was just laying on top of him listening to him breathing
telling him he's okay I was rubbing his chest I was looking at the tattoo on his
arm he had his little girl's name tattooed on his own then I heard him stop breathing he was the nicest man I
ever met I never saw him yell at anybody that was the worst time that was my worst time
since I've been in Iraq both sergeants Nelson and Kousaka died of their wounds later Stephen green
admitted the deaths of his superiors messed him up real bad and fueled his hatred for the Iraqi people quote
there's not a word that would describe how much I hated these people I wasn't thinking these people were
humans over here killing people is like squashing in here I mean you kill someone and it's like
all right let's go get some pizza over the following months greens mental health deteriorated he viewed the war
and his involvement as pointless quote are going to be here for a year and if there ain't [ __ ] I can do about it I
just want to go home alive I don't give a [ __ ] about the whole Iraq thing but I
care see this war is different from all the ones that our fathers and grandfathers fought those wars were for
something this war is for nothing [Music] even his own platoon were becoming increasingly uncomfortable bug rains
mental instability he snapped the superiors found a joy in the McHarg and it Joe Vuli through a puppy off a
rooftop he'd go on long offensively racist rants before ending them with his desire to kill every last Iraqi on the
planet acknowledging he wasn't coping Green sort of military stress counselor showing signs of behavioral problems
such as agitation irritability hostility and hyper vigilance Green also despite fear severe anxiety mistrust and
emotional detachment he admitted he also suffered from nightmares and wanted to take revenge on Iraqis including
civilians the counselor concluded Green had symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder Judah
greens poor morale higher combat stress and anger over the deaths of friends the
counselor labeled Green mission incompatible it was recommended Green take a break from front-line combat to
rest and should he return he needed stronger supervision the grain got neither he was prescribed
small doses of a mood regulating drug to help him sleep and was sent back to the
drastically understaffed traffic control point to on the secluded stretch of road
just a few hundred meters from the Janabi family home traffic control point to was based out of a hollowed-out
abandoned concrete house on a straight dirt road side soldiers sleeping cots were laid out in two small rooms inside
behind the house was a courtyard surrounded by a wire fence the military Humvee was parked out front observing
the rural road in both directions traffic control point to had no electricity or running water soldiers
there had little else but the uniform on their backs including Stephen green traffic control point two had a total of
six men barely enough to both adequately guard the checkpoint and conduct regular
and safe patrols of the surrounding area their outpost had not been fortified making the soldiers feel like sitting
ducks they were overworked underslept an incredibly high strong despite being prohibited by the US military they'd
taken up getting drunk on Iraqi whiskey and gin to coke on March 12 2006 when sergeant Anthony Arabian DS patrol
returned to traffic control point two after investigating their Janabi family crime scene he spotted Stephen green
standing in the middle of the road anxiously looking back and forth when you Ray be approached Green pulled him
aside and asked him what was going on his breath raped of hard liquor Yuri B gave him a quick situation report
on the Janabi family Massacre Green responded why did that [ __ ] that was me oh I did it I killed that family
sergeant you Raby didn't believe him there was no secret Stephen green was completely unstable manic medicated and
talked about killing Iraqis all the time but never followed through Green was constantly saying outrageous [ __ ] to try
and get a rise out of others and was always pushing boundaries between what he considered a funny joke and what
others considered downright offensive besides Yuri be thought there was absolutely no way someone like private
first class Stephen green far from a seasoned and skillful assassin snuck out of traffic control point to in broad
daylight broke into the Janabi house took control of everyone inside corralled the parents and youngest
daughter into a room grabbed at the family's ak-47 killed them one after the other and forced the eldest daughter
into the living room raped her set the place on fire got away without being seen or heard and returned to
traffic control point to without a single other soldier noticing he was gone sergeant UAB didn't believe it was
possible so we told green to shut the [ __ ] up and the conversation ended there
over the following days sergeant you rabies thoughts lingered on greens confession he really reflected on the
shotgun shell he found in the Janabi bedroom American military were issued with combat shotguns for breaching doors
and close combat indoor battles you rebe couldn't get his mind off the shotgun shell he knew its presence was
problematic if the rumor ever got out that an American soldier killed the Janabi family the backlash from both the
American and the Iraqi people would be career and potentially life ending that would intensify the war giving the Iraqi
population more reasons to resent and target the Americans in their country sergeant UAB continued to wrestle with
the possibility Stephen green had committed the murders the more he thought about it the more he started to
think that maybe Green did get away without being seen did he finally snap and carry out his
eventual bloodlust was he truly capable of single-handedly slaughtering a civilian family not able to get it out
of his head sergeant yuri be returned to traffic control point to a few days after the
Janabi family massacre to confront steven green for more information Green verbally walked through the
entirety of they do not be crime-scene he described it in such a vivid detail there was little doubt Green had been
there at some point you Raby tall green I'm done with you you're dead to me you get yourself out of this or I'll get you
out myself but UAB took no immediate action after this interaction later that month Green arrived at the
Forward Operating Base in my video where he approached the combat stress team for
a mental health evaluation confessing his military transgressions and bad behavior he stopped short of
mentioning anything about the Janabi murders after their evaluation of green the combat stress team concluded he had
serious issues with impulsiveness and lying lacked empathy and remorse was aggressive and arrogant and harbored a
disregard for right and wrong they diagnosed Greene with a pre-existing antisocial personality disorder
frequently associated with sociopathic and psychopathic persons although they listed his potential to harm others as
aloe on April 14 2006 one month after the Janabi family Massacre green was approved to leave Iraq and return home
to the United States due to his diagnosed antisocial personality disorder and post-traumatic stress
disorder Green was not eligible for a second tour of duty on may 16 2006 Stephen green was honorably discharged
from the United States Army back in Iraq certain you rate was happy to say Stephen green gone and felt it ended his
role in the Janabi situation once and for all he kept knowledge of greens confession a
secret until his conversation with private first class just than what when sergeant new Raby confessed all this
information about Stephen green to justin ward in june what was shell-shocked it was a tough time in
Bravo Company two of their brothers Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca had just been kidnapped and another David
Babineaux had been killed during the intense search for the missing soldiers sergeant Yuri B had let
his guard down and told Justin what that an American soldier was responsible for
the dinner be family Massacre Justin what later stated quote I couldn't believe what I was hearing in one
sentence he had dismantled for me every good thing we'd done every hospital would build every school we'd protected
I had been prepared to fight the enemy but I never expected to feel betrayed by my own people determined to find the
truth of the matter what insisted greens claim should be properly investigated forget about it sergeant yer a be
required just like God sorted out what found it impossible to follow you rabies advice
he lay awake thinking over greens confession what truly believed green wasn't lying and he did kill the Janabi
family however what struggled with the idea that green acted alone Green was the runt of the platoon and not in the
frame of mind to intricately plan stage and get away with a successful multiple murder on his own furthermore traffic
control point to wasn't a main base with hundreds of troops constantly coming and
going there was a small empty house with only six station soldiers if one was gone for
even five minutes the others would notice what was convinced someone else must have known what Green was up to
Green was protecting someone what started conducting his own discrete investigation who was above his rank and
expertise and risked his reputation career and possibly his life yet he was determined to discover the truth with
Stephen green alloying Mad Men or was he really a murderer the only ones who could possibly know the truth
were the five other soldiers stationed at traffic control point two at the time of the killings
the first soldier they're just on what spoke to was private first class Brian Hellmuth 18 year old Brian Howard from
Texas had only been in Iraq for around two five months he was one of the soldiers stationed at traffic control
point two with Stephen green at the time of the Janabi massacre Howard was the youngest of the troops stationed there a
new recruit who was perpetually stuck in the hazing stage Justin what suspected to Brian Howard was the one most likely
to talk how we didn't have the same long-term connection and loyalty to green as the more seasoned soldiers that
truck a control point to what pulled Howard aside for a talk and shaped their conversation into a back-and-forth of
really messed up stuff they had experienced in Iraq Howard was eager to listen and trade horror stories but
seemed to intentionally skirt around the Janabi killings what instantly felt Howard's reluctance
to bring up the topic himself implied he was hiding something so what casually brought up the Janabi
murders careful not to raise Howard suspicions that there was an ulterior motive for their conversation but Howard
remained hesitant to talk about it frustrated by Howard's reluctance the talk just on what decided to risk at all
pretending he knew more than he did what repeated details sergeant you Raby had told him about the crime including
labeling Stephen green as the killer it was a massive gamble if Howard sincerely
didn't know anything about the crime word would get around the Justin what was starting rumors implicating his own
brothers he'd be labeled a traitor and a lawyer maybe a terrorist sympathizer his career
would be over but the gamble paid off It was as if what slid the right key into the lock
suddenly Howard's guard lowered and he began talking openly about the Janabi killings as though he was sharing a
story they both already knew but to just them what this was all horrifyingly new
private first class Brian Howard started his story in the morning of March 12 2006 at traffic control point to private
seth skele was pulling guard out front in the Humvee the remainder of the squad were off-duty the soldier in charge at
the checkpoint specialist promotable Paul Cortez was out back in the courtyard with Cortez were privates
Jessie Spillman and Stephen green entered the second most senior soldier at the checkpoint specialist James Barca
23 year old James Barca from California was the mischief maker of the squad described as a lovable dork Barker was a
quick-witted smart aleck whose timely humor brought levity to the harsh war environment he joined the army in 2003
as his prior history with gangs drugs and alcohol made it difficult for him to find ordinary work back home Barker had
anger issues and was once reported for physically abusing his wife and child Barker insisted the situation was a
misunderstanding but it was forced to attend anger-management classes anyway his boots first hit Iraqi soil in
October 2003 by March 2006 he was on his second tour despite his rocky past immature behavior
and anger issues Barker was noted as one of the best combat soldiers many of his
superiors had ever seen Cortez Barker crane and Spillman were sitting in plastic lawn chairs around a
makeshift table playing a card game Brian Howard was not playing cards with the boys he was inside the building
laying on his cot with headphones in listening to music beginning sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. the
group out back playing cards started drinking alcohol they mixed whiskey and gin with several
cans of energy drinks then passed around the potent concoction drinking liberally
when they ran dry they mixed up a new batch as the group got drunker their boyish banter and chicha turned to
something more sinister howard overheard fragments of their conversation through
the wall and realized they were discussing raping an iraqi girl a short time later cortez barker green
and Spillman came inside the traffic control point to building they were bused from the alcohol and pumped up
from energy drinks howard watched as they changed into what soldiers called a ninja suit it's black silk lightweight
underwear consisting of pants and a long slave to talk usually worn under clothes
on cold nights after putting on their ninja suits the soldiers also made makeshift balaclavas head of t-shirts
and wrapped them around their heads covering their faces Spillman grabbed an m14 long-range
sniper rifle Cortez and Barca took an m4 assault rifle each and grain carried a combat shotgun Cortez told Howard they
were going to go [ __ ] an Iraqi girl near boy Howard thought Cortez was insane and
didn't honestly believe that's what the group who really going off to do he attempted to keep them from leaving by
reminding them it was a really bad idea for the four of them to abandon the traffic control point leaving only two
soldiers on guard there Cortez entered Howard a two-way radio keeping the other for himself he ordered
hell with the cheney into a different channel so no one else would hear their chatter if there were any problems
they'd radio each other easy they weren't going far they could be back to the traffic control point in
minutes if anything happened Cortez Barker green and Spillman walked out the back squeezed through a gap in the wire
fence that surrounded the checkpoint and disappeared Howard estimated the four of them were
gone for approximately fifteen minutes when they returned all of the men were in a heartened hyper and erratic State
one of the soldiers had blood on his clothing but Howard couldn't recall which one they also had an ak-47 assault
rifle in their possession which they didn't have earlier after stripping off their ninja suits Cortez and Barker
poured a bottle of water over their genitals and started scrubbing them clean the clothes they wore out were collected
in a box and Howard was ordered to burn them Howard also recalled someone being ordered to throw the ak-47 assault rifle
into the nearby canal his memory was foggy though so he couldn't remember exactly who made the order or who
carried it out Justin what must he shot from Howard's revelations his instincts were correct Stephen green didn't act
alone but it was flawed to discover just about the entire outpost was in on it after this conversation Justin what
confronted his team leader sergeant Anthony Uribe with the new details gathered from Brian Howard
but you Raby despite his own suspicions couldn't accept for US soldiers were involved in their genomic Ron Howard's
testimony was flaky and he couldn't prove what the men did when they left traffic control point to they may not
have gone to the Janabi property they probably went to beat up some Iraqis to let off steam
as far as you Rabia was concerned everything Howard told what was he say nothing Howard claimed conclusively
proved without a doubt that Stephen green or any of the others committed the Janabi murders Justin what felt defeated
at this point he didn't know what to do there was nothing in recruit training that taught soldiers what to do if their
buddies have raped and murdered a civilian family he couldn't confront any of the men Howard had implicated that
all just annoyed even his own superior seemed content to remain ignorant of the truth and forget about the whole thing
has what to Dover thoughts about the Janabi family murders upwards of 8,000 American and Iraqi soldiers were still
searching for missing privates Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca 25 combat operations were conducted 12 villages
were cleared 11 airstrikes were ordered 400 manual flight hours were logged as well as an additional 200 flight hours
for unmanned drones 2908 days were encountered 17 of those were dismantled and twelve were detonated one coalition
force member died 12 others were wounded two insurgents were killed 36 suspects were the tanked yet still after all that
no crucial Intel was gathered pointing to the abductors for their location American media reported news of the
ambush and abduction David Babineaux was reported killed in action Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca
with duty status whereabouts unknown their families anxiously waited for updates and prayed that would be found
alive reports initially suggested it was an act of retaliation for an American airstrike days earlier that killed
several militant group leaders however no one had come forward claiming responsibility for the ambush and
abduction and neither a ransom or an exchange had been requested by the kidnappers until finally on June 19
three days into the search the Mujahideen Shura Council of Iraq an organization consisting of several
insurgent groups opposing us and coalition forces published a press release claiming credit for the ambush
and abduction they bragged they to humiliated the strongest army in the world and stated quote we give good news
to the nation that we have carried God's verdict by slaughtering the two captured
Crusaders shortly before 8:00 p.m. on June 19 US troops conducted a nighttime sweep of an area almost 3 kilometres
northeast from the power plant where the blood-stained road drag marks and truck
had been found they spotted something up ahead on the secluded stretch of dirt road on display in the center of the
road with the bodies of Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca there were near unrecognizable caked with blood and mud
both soldiers have been mutilated dismembered and burned one of the men had been beheaded
phears the bodies were booby-trapped by insurgents held off retrieval until daylight the following morning the
grueling way proved life-saving nied was discovered rigged between one of the victims legs and three more were planted
around the bodies it took hours to safely defuse the IEDs the memorial service was held for David Babineaux
Thomas Tucker and Christian menchaca in Iraq before their bodies were flying back home to the United States hundreds
of people attended the memorial services for each men on home soil held in their
respective hometowns they were all bestowed a Purple Heart awarded to military personnel wounded or killed on
active duty and a Bronze Star awarded for heroic service and achievement within a combat zone Justin what was
overwhelmed with anger he asked himself why need good honorable heroic soldiers like Babineaux Tucker and Ben charka
door while Stephen green a confessed to child rapist and killer got to go home and live out his life as a false
American hero what was tormented by the hopelessness Tucker and menchaca must have felt during their capture and
torture a feeling he related to how custom Janabi must have felt as US soldiers marched into his home and
against slaughtering his wife and daughters the added realization that both Cortez and Spillman attended and
investigated the Janabi crime scene with sergeant you Raby knowing full well what
happened there met Justin what feel sick what was compelled to seek justice for the Janabi family but struggled with the
fear of going against the squadmates as well as his superiors sergeant you rabies complete disregard of the matter
told what that he would rather Berry's head in this hand pushing him Byrne investigation was a dead end
Huw ray B had made it clear that was over as far as he was concerned that June naught the phone rang in the what
family home in South Carolina Rick white answered the satellite phone link was clear though somewhat delayed when his
son's voice came through the savor sanding obviously distraught Justin what asked his father if you knew
something bad about your brothers would you come forward an Army veteran himself
ricky knew when he son said brothers he was referring to his fellow soldiers Rick what pressed his son for more
information but justin remained ambiguous i really shouldn't say but it's bad beyond anything you could
imagine rick what greatly honored and respected the bond of loyalty between soldiers
however he could tell his son was carrying a great burden perhaps more important than that bond honor and
loyalty Rick told his son to follow his conscience he shouldn't let loyalty to his men get in the way of doing what was
right On June 20 2006 Justin what approached the military mental health counselor the
only person he knew would be obligated to take his statements to investigators after a deep slow breath he told them
everything in you an internal military investigation commenced immediately due to the sensitivity of the case it was
treated with utmost confidentiality many soldiers suspected an investigation was
happening but few had any idea what it was all about each of the soldiers who had been at traffic control point two on
the date of the crime were brought in for questioning with the exception of Stephen green who is back in the States
and no longer under military legal jurisdiction all of the soldiers interviewed Paul Cortez James Barca
Jesse Spillman Brian Howard and Anthony URI be initially denied everything Justin what had asserted
so the investigative spotlight was then put on just than what he was immediately
railroaded caught a liar threatened to be charged with making false statements and perjury the
interrogations of what were relentless almost as though he was the bad guy with no evidence to prove his claims it was
his word against the five other soldiers involved and they were determined to remain tight-lipped Justin what knew he
was being intimidated to stay quiet but despite their hardest efforts to derail him what stuck to his guns until finally
one of the five soldiers cracked there was 21-year old private Jesse Spellman who was the first to acknowledge what
really happened at first he deliberately left out facts to avoid implicating himself but through his revelations each
of the men involved began opening up to tell their version of events as the investigation carried on their candid
statements stitched together a chilling portrait of what exactly happened on March 12 2006
in the early morning of March 12 2006 after their routine roadside IEDs sweep Paul Cortez James Barker and Stephen
green were in the courtyard at the rear of traffic control point two Barker was hitting golf balls over the fence line
as the others watched he remarked that he was going to waste a couple of dudes on his next guard shift Cortez who is in
charge of the traffic control point warned him not to as they didn't want to get in trouble for it Barker then
exclaimed he had a better idea his desire was to quote [ __ ] an Iraqi [ __ ] the comment spurred a conversation
between the three soldiers that carried on into a plan they plotted throughout the morning Barker already had a target
in mind the girl in the farmhouse nearby he didn't know her name but had seen her
almost daily outside in the garden what about witnesses one of the soldiers are asked answering this question earned
Stephen green his role in the plan Barkin new Green was itching to kill Iraqis when asked if he was willing to
take care of any witnesses Green agreed he wouldn't leave anyone alive Barker and Cortez had both performed to
retain searches of the Janabi property before they knew the father legally owned an ak-47 assault rifle that he
kept in the bedroom they described the layout of the house the green specifically where he could
find to the bedroom and rifle Greene was told to order the family to get on the ground and lay on their stomachs when
they went down Green would put pillows over their heads and shoot each of them one by one through the pillow at
point-blank range Cortez pulled rank and stated he would be the first one to rape the older girl
by now Barker and Green were getting increasingly invested in the idea but all of a sudden Cortez came to his
senses and pulled the plug telling the others this is crazy [ __ ] this there's no way we're doing
this [ __ ] and the topic was dropped for a wall the day then played out exactly
as Brian Howard had described to Justin what private Seth skele was on guard duty alone in the Humvee Brian Howard
was inside listening to music and Cortez Baca green and Spillman were out back getting drunk and playing cards and they
are all too into their drinking session Cortez who had originally shut down the plan of rape and murder suddenly stood
up and said [ __ ] it we are going to do this the plan was finalized Cortez embarked I would take the oldest
daughter and green would kill the family this was actually the first time Jessi Spillman heard what horrors his fellow
soldiers were hatching when they asked if he wanted in he said he was down the group got changed out of their military
clothes their aim was to look like insurgents in case they were spotted by any witnesses Barker and Cortes changed
into their ninja suits Green removed to the US military insignias on his uniform
they covered their faces and arm to themselves Cortez gave Howard who is not participating in the crime a radio to
keep in touch [Music] Cortez Barker green and Spillman then left traffic control point two after
squeezing through a gap in the wire fence surrounding the checkpoint they entered a big field blocked in by walls
and another chain-link fence using a multi-tool knife Barker cut a gap through this second fence and the group
squeezed through one after the other remaining in formation they quickly followed a path past an abandoned
property until they reached another chain-link fence this one already had a cut through it so the soldiers just
pulled it open and climbed through they marched through a grassy field shaded with palm trees until they reached their
target location the small tan colored concrete farmhouse at the end of a dirt driveway specialist promotable Paul
Cortez quote the father and the little girl was outside right by the front door in front of their car
Spillman had kind of pushed the little girl kind of taking her inside and then Green had grabbed the father on the time
I got inside Green had already had them all inside the room and was pushing the older daughter after me and Barker me
and Barker took her toward the back wall I think she was hyperventilating she was just breathing real hard kind of
scared probably I threw her to the ground by her hair I tore off her little silk wait Barker was holding her hands
down up above her head end quote Grainne entered the bedroom where he'd forced to Qasim [ __ ] Rhea and her deal
before shutting and locking the door behind him private first class Jessi Spillman quote the bedroom door shut
then I went back to the front foyer area looking at again just pulling security I
heard several gunshots coming from the bedroom it kind of took me by surprise so I ran over to the door I started
beating on the door and the door was locked just a few seconds went by into then
grain kind of opened up the door just cracked it open a little bit I asked him is everything all right is everything
fine and he was like yeah everything's fallen any kind of opened at the door the rest of the way and are saying the
older female on the ground and the older male in the corner and the ground as well it appeared like they were both
dead I seen a shotgun shell on the ground it didn't look like it was expended it was
not fired and I pointed that out Green picked it up he had a shotgun I remember saying at that time he put the show back
in the shotgun and kind of kept looking around on the ground looking for something that's when I kind of backed
up from the doorway a little bit and I peered into the living room and that's when I was saying Cortez and Barker
raping the female in thank Green comes out of the bedroom enters the living room the four of us are in the living
room any kind of announces just everybody or killed them and they're all dead and two then the other two Barker
and Cortez get up and they're finished and they leaved the female laying on the ground at that point Green was holding
an ak-47 and he leans it up against the wall and then he goes over after Green was done he gets up and kind of pulls
his pants back up went over to where he placed the ak-47 against the wall walked
back over to the young lady there and I remember him putting a pillow over her face and then he put the ak-47 up to
the pillow and then fired probably five or six times I walked over to the body of the young female my back was towards
everybody in the living room so I don't know who was in there and I knelt down beside her and who lifted up her shirt I
touched her breasts I really can't tell you why I really don't know the reason why I did it
end quote [Music] at this point Cortez was frenzied and started telling everybody that they had
to get out of there Barker entered the kitchen and returned holding a glass lamp he poured the
kerosene in the lamp over itby his body they used Spillman cigarette lighter to set the liquid alight Spillman collected
bags of clothes from the corner of the room and put them on top of a beers body to feed the flames Greene pulled the
hose of a propane bottle in the kitchen the four soldiers then quickly fled the property and ran back the traffic
control point to when they got back they stripped off their clothes and burnt them Cortese
ordered Spillman to take the ak-47 Greene had brought back from the Janabi property and throw it into a nearby
canal Green was hyper energetic bouncing around exclaiming what they just did was awesome that around 5:00 p.m. that
afternoon they overheard a report on the radio from traffic control point one of
the murder and rape when sergeant Anthony Arabia arrived to traffic control point two to pick up Cortez and
Spillman for his patrol of the scene he had no idea the soldiers were responsible Cortez recalled returning to
the crime scene when he first saw what Greene had done in the bedroom and made him physically sick and he had the rush
outside to vomit later when you Ray be found the shotgun shell in the bedroom Cortez realized Greene had accidentally
left it behind he pocketed the show and destroyed it later that evening later that same night Cortez Barker Greene
Spillman and Howard were standing under the stars staring into the flames of the
fire together privates Keller the other soldier at traffic control point two was back on
duty in the Humvee skele had no knowledge and no involvement in the planning orchestration or covering up of
the crime while staring into the flames Cortez told the others to keep quiet about everything to keep it to
themselves Greene told the others if had ever got out just to blame everything on
him from that day onwards none of the men involved spoke of the crime eventually that were rotated out from
traffic control point to Spillman ran into green months later in May at the Forward Operating Base at that stage
Steven green was processing through his discharge and preparing to go back to the United States they played video
games together and at no point did they mention the murders after their confessions peach of the soldiers were
stripped of their weapons and placed under arrest the entire situation was kept from the
public considering the implications if word got out what US soldiers did to an Iraqi civilian family it was believed to
be safer for everyone to handle the situation internally on June 26 Justin what logged into his MySpace page he'd
often post status updates on his time in Iraq for friends and family back home on
that day he posted an obscure message hinting at his frustration know what he perceived was a military cover-up quote
nobody would know that I brought justice to a murdered family on June 30 Ryan Lenz a war correspondent for
Associated Press was tailing a unit north of Baghdad he started hearing rumors amongst troops about a murder
investigation involving American military personnel prying around for more details he interviewed several
anonymous sources who were directly involved in the investigation and had intimate knowledge of the case
on July 1 Ryan Lenz published a comprehensive story on the crime titled gos may have planned Iraq rape slangs
immediately the story became an international scandal on July 10 2006 21 days after the mutilated bodies of us
privates Thomas Tucker and Christian Mann charka were found the Mujahideen Shura Council in Iraq released a video
online the four minute and thirty nine second video begins with a brief introduction featuring the image and
voice of a sama bin Laden the leader of terrorist organization al Qaeda the video cuts to rough grainy handheld
footage the camera hovers over the bodies of the two soldiers they laid close to each other as insurgents move
in and out of shot pointing and poking a statement was released with the video quote here is a film on the remains of
the bodies of the two American soldiers kidnapped near use of fear we are showing it to avenge our sister who was
dishonored by a soldier belonging to the same brigade as these two soldiers [Music]
the media sifted through the history of members of Bravo Company in Iraq in a frenzied search for more information
just then what's myspace profile was found and the message he posted on June 26 nobody will know that I brought
justice to a murdered family was published in the media singling him out as the crimes whistleblower what was
warned of possible threats made by other members of his unit and a lived in constant fear of retribution for turning
in his squad mates he was moved from Bravo Company to Charlie Company in an attempt to create some distance between
himself and to those being investigated Stephen greens time back in the United States after Iraq was hollow and
directionless he spent his time driving around aimlessly with a pistol and rifle
in his car Green had gone back to old vices drinking and drugs when he narrated or higher he would reveal to
friends the horrors he had witnessed in Iraq at one point mentioning witnessing a rape committed by American soldiers
however when he sobered up he told them to forget about what he said in early July Stephen green attended the funeral
for David Babineaux held at the Arlington National Cemetery a US military cemetery in Virginia two
hundred people were in attendance including Babineaux his family and extended family old school friend's wife
and children as well as a large contingent of American military members afterwards green visited his grandmother
in North Carolina it was there that FBI agents stormed the house arresting green
as green was technically a civilian at the time of his arrest his trial was to be held before a civilian court the
other perpetrators all still active duty soldiers faced military court Paul Cortez James Barca Jesse Spellman and
Brian Howard had multiple charges to their names including housebreaking with intent to rape conspiracy to commit rape
rape four counts of murder and arson specialist promotable Paul Cortez who greenlit the rape claimed he didn't
realize the family would actually be killed on january 22 2007 Cortez pleaded guilty in his court-martial and wept as
he apologized for the crimes offering no explanation as to why he took part Paul
Cortez was sentenced to 100 years in prison specialist James Barca who pitched the
idea of the rape accepted responsibility for his actions quote I want the people
of Iraq to know that I did not go there to do the terrible things I did I do not
ask anyone to forgive me to live there to survive there I became angry and mean I loved my friends my fellow soldiers
and my leaders but I began to hate everyone else in Iraq on November 15 2006 Barker pleaded
guilty in his court-martial and showed a no emotion when he was sentenced to 90 years in prison private first class
Jesse Spillman whose participation in the crime was as the group's lookout accepted that his passive involvement
made him just as culpable as the others quote I don't really blame my chain of command I don't really blame anybody I
could have stopped it I take responsibility for my actions I thought about it that night and I decided not to
report it for a couple of different reasons I mean you go over there in the wartime environment and we're looking
out for each other and I just didn't feel like telling on the people that I served with and at the same time I might
end up like them too you know if I go tell the command somebody might silence me or something
like that on August 3rd 2007 Spillman pleaded guilty in his court-martial and was
sentenced to 110 years Spillman received a larger sentence than the others as he didn't own up to the
full extent of his knowledge of the crime he claimed he didn't know what the plan was when they went to the Janabi
house and when he found out he was too scared and do anything about it he also interfered with a beers body
after she was murdered as a part of play deals Cortez Barker and Spillman avoided
the death penalty and had been on parole periods lowered to 10 10 and 20 years respectively on the condition that gave
evidence at each other's court proceedings private first class Brian Howard who ever heard the others
planning the crime but didn't participate stated quote if I could go back I would not have let it happen in
the first place but definitely would have told somebody howard was sentenced to 27 months for obstruction of justice
and being an accessory after the fact he was released after 17 months for good behavior sergeant Anthony Arabia who
didn't report Greene's confession of murder was charged with obstructing the investigation specifically dereliction
of duty into making a false statement he was granted immunity from prosecution for his testimony in the trials of the
others each of the soldiers involved were dishonorably discharged from the United States military except for
sergeant Anthony Uribe who was given a less than honorable discharge on April 27 2009 Stephen green civilian trial
began he pleaded not guilty but never denied his involvement in the crime his defense team detailed what life was
really like in Iraq for US soldiers emphasizing the harsh and stressful wartime conditions the lack of
leadership and the little help troops received from the army to deal with the loss of friends they suggested the Army
should have removed grain from frontline duty and provided him with more intensive mental health care when it was
clear he wasn't coping under the pressure a psychiatrist the grains trawl testified that his medical treatment in
Iraq didn't meet the acceptable standard of care soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder in Iraq who would
normally have been removed from the battlefield were retained to satisfy the need for combat troops a 2008 MRI scan
of Greene's brain showed he had been suffering from brain damage and the people with his kind of brain injury
often experienced major difficulties checking impulses described as quote they won't have the brakes and they'll
be easily aroused into action relatives of the Janabi family testified at Green's trial a cousin testified how
they believed the Americans when they said the crime had been committed by insurgents quote I thought it had to be
terrorists this was a massacre not a crawlin I thought no American would do such a thing other relatives
day tired how [ __ ] ryojun are be disclosed to them on March 10 she had caught American soldiers leering at her
daughter fourteen-year-old ABI and giving her unwanted attention as she worked outside
in the garden that would point to her daughter give her a thumbs up and say very good very good
this behavior concerned effec we owe so much she made plans for B to spend the night of March 11 sleeping at her
uncle's house but the same relatives reassured FAC RIA and told her that the Americans would not do such a thing
ABI did not take up the offer to stay at her uncle's that night and it was the following day when she and her family
were killed abby's harassment by the offenders was further substantiated by her brother
Mohamed Janabi testified as Steve and grains trawl that he recalled when the American soldiers were searching their
house and one of them ran his index finger down a beers cheek an action that terrified her Mohammed also revealed
that neither he or his younger brother Ahmed had any idea when they came home from school on March 12 2006 and saw the
smoke coming from their family home that it was coming from their sisters body both Janabi brother stopped attending
school after the murders as they no longer had the mood to study youngest son Ahmed stated he wanted to grow up to
be a policeman quote so I can protect myself and other people and poor people [Music]
Stephen greens trial last the day pays each of the soldiers involved in the crime testified explaining in grim
detail of the planning orchestration and to cover-up of the murders on May 7 2009
a federal jury convicted Stephen green of rape and murder Greene was spared the death penalty as the jury of nine men
and three women could not come to a unanimous decision as a result Greene was sentenced to life without parole
Greene appealed his convictions stating he should have faced a military trial not a civilian trial he lost his appeal
in August 2011 as anticipated violence in Iraq picked up once the truth of the Janabi killers was publicly revealed
however some Iraqis understood the criminals exist - regardless of culture and didn't hold the United States
accountable for the actions of the few who were responsible Iraq's government argued that H of the
soldiers trial should have been held in an Iraqi Court some believe green especially should have been put to death
in the place where he committed his crime a relative of the Janabi family stated quote imagine the situation
reversed if a non-american had done this crime the world would be up in arms and
surely he would have been executed [Music] Stephen green issued a public apology
for his crimes that he personally read during his trial he stated quote before I was in the Army I never thought I
would kill anyone and even after I was in the Army but before I went to Iraq I never thought I would intentionally kill
a civilian when I was in Iraq something happened to me that I can only explain by saying that I lost my mind at some
point while I was in Iraq why stop seeing Iraqis as good and bad as men women and children I started seeing them
all as one and evil and the less than human when that happened any natural learned or religious morality that
normally would have stopped this was gone life in prison wasn't easy for Steven green due to the nature of his crime and
the fact that involved children he was often targeted for attacks by other inmates and was often placed in
protective segregation he described prison as a lonely existence On February 13 2014 an
unresponsive Steven green was found hanging in his prison cell two days later he was confirmed that dead
Steven greens lawyer said their greens death quote adds another tragedy to a long list of tragedies that already
existed in this case it's another indication of how horrific this case had been for everyone involved
Justin what eventually sought a medical discharge from the military in 2007 due to his diagnosed post-traumatic stress
disorder a traumatic brain injury and annoy a day related stomach injury he credited his ability to come forward and
expose his fellow troops by the fact that he unlocked the perpetrators of the Janabi killings never demonized his
enemy Justin what understood that in war nobody thinks they are the bad guy and both sides perceived themselves as the
righteous one what was their nightmare just as much they were his evil in each other's eyes
since returning back to the United States he's been labeled both a hero and a traitor letters and emails from the
public of varied some praised his bravery and integrity whilst others mocked his disloyalty and allegiance to
his home country his father Ric watt whose encouragement propelled Justin to come forward his proud of his son quote
I'm proud of him for coming forward it took moral courage on an age that the content of his character by 2009
discussions were had amongst us political circles leading to an agreement that all US combat brigades
would be removed from Iraq by the end of August 2010 on August 18 2010 the final US military
combat troops were reported to have crossed Iraq southeastern border into the country of Kuwait the official
closure to Operation Iraqi Freedom was announced on August 31 2010 on the night of March 17 2003 the President of the
United States George W Bush stood alone before a single camera in the cross Hall
of the White House in Washington DC standing before the American flag in a crisp suit entire the president was
stoic as he began a 13 minute speech broadcast around the world looking deep into the camera President Bush gave a
powerful ultimatum he demanded President Saddam Hussein leave Iraq if Hussein refused the order the full might of the
United States military and its allies would enter Iraq and remove him by force he then added many Iraqis can hear me
tonight in a translated radio broadcast and I have a message for them if we must
begin a military campaign it will be directed against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you as
our coalition takes away their power we will deliver the food and medicine you need we will tear down the apparatus of
terror and we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free in a free Iraq there will be no more wars
of aggression against your neighbors no more poison factories no more executions
of dissidents no more torture chambers and rape drums the tyrant will soon be gone the day of
your liberation is near [Music]

Case 78: The Janabi Family

Sergeant Yribe was notably stern, straight-faced, and focused when approaching the building. He commanded his squad quickly and efficiently as they swept through the farmhouse performing a building clearance…

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas Additional scoring – Andrew Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://www.casefilepodcast.com/case-78-the-janabi-family

Brief Summary

The episode details the Janabi family massacre by U.S. soldiers and the ensuing investigation and trials.

Key points

The Janabi Family's Move. The Janabi family relocates for a job opportunity, risking their support network.
The Janabi Family's Tragedy. The Janabi family's home is engulfed in smoke, leading to a horrifying discovery.
The Triangle of Death. A region notorious for violence and insurgent attacks during the Iraq War.
The Janabi Family Massacre. A brutal attack that left a family slaughtered, raising questions about insurgent involvement.
The Abduction of Soldiers. The kidnapping of US soldiers sparked a desperate search and raised tensions.
Stephen Green's Transformation. Stephen Green, a troubled loner, joins the military and faces the horrors of war.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I felt safe there.

Reflecting on a sense of security amidst chaos

6:33WatchNov 20, 2018

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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