Soldier convicted in gang beating death of sgt.

Soldier convicted in gang beating death of sgt.
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 26, 2009 14:16:52 EST

BERLIN — A U.S. soldier has been found guilty of participating in gang initiation rituals that caused the beating death of another soldier near a base in Germany.

Pvt. Bobby D. Morrissette was also convicted on charges of impeding an investigation, impeding a trial by court-martial and willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer, the military said in a statement Thursday. He was sentenced to 42 months in confinement and a bad conduct discharge.

The charges relate to the beating death of Sgt. Juwan Johnson, of Baltimore on July 4, 2005, at a park pavilion in Kaiserslautern, where U.S. forces have a base.

The Army released no further details on the incident, but at the trial of others involved in the case witnesses testified that at least six members of the Gangster Disciples gang beat Johnson during a gang initiation ritual.

Johnson’s mother, Stephanie Cockrell, told The Associated Press in 2005 that she had spoken to her son the day before his death and he told her he was coming home in two weeks after completing an 18-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_germany_soldier_beating_022609/%2e