NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Opening statements were set to begin on Wednesday in the murder trial of a Marine charged in the hazing death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.
Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Mario Madera-Rodriguez faces several counts, including felony murder, and will be tried by a panel of eight military members.
He’s accused of taking part in the strangling of Army Staff Sergeant Logan Melgar in 2017 during a hazing ritual in the African country of Mali.
Three other military members charged in the case have pleaded guilty, including Navy SEAL Tony DeDolph, who got 10 years in prison this January.
Madera-Rodriguez could face life in prison if convicted of felony murder. The trial was expected to last three weeks.