05
August
G.I. GUILTY IN RAPE-SLAY
Sgt. Paul E. Cortez, a 24 year old U.S. soldier, pleaded guilty on February 22 to rape and murder in the death of a 14 year old girl and her family last year in Iraq. The court will consider whether Cortez of Barstow, California, should be found guilty of premeditated murder and whether he is guilty of conspiracy to commit premeditated murdered. In his plea agreement, Cortez said he conspired with three other soldiers from the Fort Campbell-based 101st Airborne Division to rape 14 year old Abeer Qassim al-Janabi. The