Bob McCarty Writes

The Army Clemency and Parole Board today reduced the sentence of Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna from 20 to 15 years, according to a news release from Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Okla.).

Lieutenant Behenna, who is currently serving his sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the shooting death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative, while serving in Iraq.

Previous cases of similar or more aggravating circumstances, where the defendants were found guilty of premeditated murder, have resulted in less severe sentences, which prompted the Oklahoma Congressional Delegation to appeal to the board for a careful review of this case and relevant precedent.

A copy of the delegation’s Oct. 14, 2009, letter to the board can be found here.

For the complete story in one document, read “The Michael Behenna Story (pdf),” a 26-page document (PDF) by Carrie Fatigante.

To read other BMW posts about Lieutenant Behenna, click here.

For information directly from the Behenna family, visit www.DefendMichael.wordpress.com.

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UPDATE 1/22/10 at 11:36 a.m. Central: See also Michael Behenna’s Parents Send Message Following Army Clemency Board Decision.

UPDATE 1/22/10 at 4:33 p.m. Central: Cross-posted at BigGovernment.com.