Army Jury Convicts Soldier in Wife's Death

Sun May 21, 4:25 AM ET

FORT LEWIS, Wash. - A soldier was convicted Saturday of murdering and mutilating his teenage wife, a Fort Lewis spokesman said. An Army jury found Spc. Brandon Bare, 20, of Wilkesboro, N.C., guilty of premeditated murder and two counts of indecent acts for chopping his wife to death with a meat cleaver and desecrating her corpse.

After a five-day court martial, the jury deliberated about four hours Friday night before reaching the verdict shortly after midnight, said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek.

The same jury of five officers and three noncommissioned officers sentenced Bare Saturday evening to life in prison with the possibility of parole, Piek said. His rank was downgraded to private and Bare was dishonorably discharged. He must also forfeit all pay and allowances and be formally reprimanded.

Nabila Bare, 18, had been stabbed at least 71 times when she was found July 12, 2005, in the couple's kitchen.

Prosecutors portrayed Bare as a satanic, would-be serial killer who carefully plotted the time and place to slaughter his wife.

His defense lawyer said he was an emotionally and physically damaged combat veteran, angry over his wife's infidelity and the pending breakup of their marriage, who killed in a moment of rage.

The machine gunner with the 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division was wounded in a March 24, 2005, grenade attack in Mosul.

-This story has really grabbed my attention, and I have been reading every little piece of news that I could. On one hand, the death is a horrible, sickening act. I can see why people are upset by the death, and specially the mutilation of the body. Only a sick person would do such a thing. A murder in a moment of severe rage is one thing, but to then mutilate the body is real proof of some mental instability. Now with that having been said, I can understand that he probably is not a homicidal killer like they have tried to make him out to be. I can speak from experience about the nightmares, the visions, fits of rage for little or no reason, the uncontrolled thought of inflicting severe pain on people for again, little or no reason. I went to therapy for month after returning home, and still have to take life one day at a time, so I can understand were he might have snapped, and just given in to the evil, dark thoughts that plague our minds. Specially when you add into the equation that there was possible infidelity, a looming divorce, and recovering from injuries. I am in no way defending his actions, but I think he should have been recommended to mental therapy, other then a life in jail, were most likely the issues will only grow worse. Making him more of a danger, if, or when he gets released.