JUSTICE

Blackwater Guard Convicted of Murder

For killing Iraqis in 2007.

A jury on Wednesday found four Blackwater guards guilty of shooting more than 30 Iraqis and killing 14 of them* in Baghdad back in 2007. Paul Slough, Dustin Heard, and Evan Liberty were charged with voluntary manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. Nicholas Slatten was charged with first-degree murder. The prosecution argued that the Blackwater guards had a low regard and deep-seated animosity toward Iraqi civilians. The guards said they were targeted with fire from insurgents. The murder charge reportedly carries mandatory life sentence, voluntary manslaughter carries 15 years and attempt to commit voluntary manslaughter comes with seven years behind bars.

*This post had incorrectly stated 30 Iraqis were killed