NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, Va.
Madera-Rodriguez faces charges of conspiracy, assault, obstruction of justice, burglary, false official statements, involuntary manslaughter and felony murder in the June 4, 2017, strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt.
Three fellow co-defendants, another Marine Raider and two Navy SEALs, have already pled guilty to their part in the death and have been sentenced.
Marine Capt.
Samuel told the jury that on the night of June 3, Melgar was driving to a party at the French Embassy in Bamako.
The trio thought that he’d deliberately ditched them and saw it as a sign of disrespect.
They’d all rush in on the sleeping Melgar, and Maxwell would pull back the mosquito netting around his bed.
Matthews would then jump in, helping duct tape Melgar, the prosecutor said.
They made up a story that DeDolph had been practicing hand-to-hand combat drills with Melgar, who stopped breathing.
The trial began Monday with jury selection, which lasted until late Thursday.
In January, DeDolph pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Maxwell pleaded guilty in June 2019 to negligent homicide, conspiracy to commit assault, hazing, obstruction of justice and making false official statements.
Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation.