Court-martial next week for Marine accused of urinating on dead bodies

CAMP LEJEUNE, NC (WWAY) — The court-martial for a Marine accused of urinating on the bodies of Taliban fighters in 2011 will begin next week at Camp Lejeune.

SSgt. Edward Deptola is charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice for his alleged involvement in the desecration of human casualties and posing for unofficial photographs with human casualties. He will be tried by special court-martial starting Wednesday.

The incident allegedly took place during a counter-insurgency operation near Sandala, Musa Qala District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on or about July 27, 2011.

Deptola was also charged with other alleged misconduct that took place during the same operation, including dereliction in his duties by failing to properly supervise junior Marines, failing to require junior Marines to wear their personal protective equipment, failing to stop and report the misconduct of junior Marines, failing to report the negligent discharge of a grenade launcher, failing to stop the indiscriminate firing of weapons, failing to stop the unnecessary damaging of Afghan compounds and wrongfully and indiscriminately firing a recovered enemy machine gun.

Deptola is assigned to Third Battalion, Second Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune.