Robert Bales

Robert Bales
Bales in March 2012
Born (1973-06-30) June 30, 1973 (age 51)
Norwood, Ohio, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materOhio State University
OccupationFormer U.S. Army soldier
Known forKandahar massacre
Criminal statusIncarcerated
SpouseKarilyn Bales
Children2
Conviction(s)
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment without the possibility of parole
Details
DateMarch 11, 2012 (2012-03-11)
03:00 AFT
Location(s)Balandi and Alkozai villages of Afghanistan
Target(s)Afghan civilians
Killed16
Injured6
WeaponsM4 carbine and M9 sidearm; some victims were found with both gunshot and stab wounds.
Imprisoned atUnited States Disciplinary Barracks

Robert Bales (born June 30, 1973) is an American mass murderer and former Army sniper who killed 16 Afghan civilians in a mass shooting in Panjwayi District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, on March 11, 2012 – an event known as the Kandahar massacre.

In order to avoid the death penalty, Bales pleaded guilty to 16 counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, and seven counts of assault in a plea deal.[1] On August 23, 2013, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[2] Before sentencing, Bales expressed his regret by referring to the murders as "an act of cowardice".[3] While Bales has exhausted all military appeals, his attorney announced in 2019 that he would be seeking a new trial in civilian court due to possible side effects of mefloquine, an anti-malaria drug Bales claims to have been taking at the time of the shooting.[3]

  1. ^ "Staff Sgt Robert Bales admits Afghan massacre". BBC News. June 5, 2013. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
  2. ^ Healy, Jack (August 23, 2013). "Soldier Gets Life Without Parole in Deaths of Afghan Civilians". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
  3. ^ a b Gurfein, David (January 4, 2021). "President Trump Must Act on Behalf of Robert Bales and Other Convicted Warfighters". Military.com.