Convicted sgt. appealing to Bush for pardon

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 25, 2008 15:42:53 EST

BOISE, Idaho — The family of an Idaho soldier convicted of unpremeditated murder while in Iraq is hoping a presidential pardon will bring him freedom.

Sgt. Evan Vela, a 24-year-old Army sniper, was convicted in February and sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing an Iraqi civilian who stumbled upon six soldiers were sleeping.

Vela was also convicted of planting an AK-47 on the dead man’s body and of lying to military investigators.

His father, Curtis Carnahan, believes his son was unfairly treated by military courts and is asking a former U.S. ambassador to deliver letters to the president requesting a pardon.

Carnahan says, “If President Bush has an opportunity to see what took place with Evan and the tactics used against him by the government, he’ll see the wrongness of it all.”