Marine says God freed him

By Allison Hoffman, Associated Press
Article Launched: 07/20/2007

CAMP PENDLETON - Marine Trent Thomas says he didn't believe he was
taking a gamble when he backed out of a plea deal for a 12-year
sentence in the death of an Iraqi man to risk being sent to prison for
life in a court-martial. For him, it was a simple leap of faith.

"God can do anything but fail," the 25-year-old said Friday, shortly
after a jury decided he should not serve any prison time for
kidnapping and conspiring to murder the Iraqi civilian. "It didn't
matter whether I took the 12-year deal or went to court. God's willing
for me to get out."

Thomas was reduced in rank from corporal to private and given a
discharge but will not serve any prison time.

Convicted Wednesday, he could have been sentenced to life in prison
without parole for the crimes stemming from his squad's frustrated
effort to find a suspected insurgent.

A jury of three officers and six enlisted Marines deliberated for less
than an hour before returning their decision.

He was acquitted of the most serious charge of premeditated murder,
which would have carried a mandatory life sentence, and of lesser
offenses including making a false official statement,
housebreaking and larceny.

Prosecutors had recommended Thomas be sentenced to 15 years in prison
with a dishonorable discharge, reduction in rank and a fine.

Thomas agreed in January to plead guilty to unpremeditated murder,
kidnapping, conspiracy and other charges. The pretrial agreement
called for 12 years in prison.

Thomas stunned the court by withdrawing his guilty plea on the eve of
sentencing in February and going to court-martial on the more severe
charge of premeditated murder.

"I was going to take a deal for 12 years because my lawyer said it was
in my best interest, but then my lawyers called me back and said,
`We're going to fight this.' That was all I needed," he told reporters
outside the courtroom.

Thomas, who was told to check out of the brig where he has been held
since May 2006, held his toddler daughter tightly and kissed her
hands.

"I'm already packed," he told one of his lawyers.

Thomas declined to answer reporters' questions about the night of
April 26, 2006, when he and his squad snatched an innocent sleeping
Iraqi man from his home after a botched attempt to capture a suspected
insurgent in the village of Hamdania.

Thomas was the first member of his squad to take his case to trial.
Four other Marines and a sailor pleaded guilty to reduced charges in
exchange for testimony. A lance corporal who admitted to kidnapping
and conspiracy - the same charges Thomas was convicted of - received
the harshest sentence by plea, eight years and dishonorable discharge.