{"id":36133,"date":"2018-11-15T23:26:06","date_gmt":"2018-11-15T23:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/11\/15\/a-jekyll-and-hyde-portrait-emerges-of-the-seal-accused-of-murdering-an-islamic-state-prisoner\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:32:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:32:49","slug":"a-jekyll-and-hyde-portrait-emerges-of-the-seal-accused-of-murdering-an-islamic-state-prisoner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2018\/11\/15\/a-jekyll-and-hyde-portrait-emerges-of-the-seal-accused-of-murdering-an-islamic-state-prisoner\/","title":{"rendered":"A Jekyll and Hyde portrait emerges of the SEAL accused of murdering an Islamic State prisoner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. \u2013 As military prosecutors tell it, Chief Special Warfare Operator Edward \u201cEddie\u201d Gallagher is a callous murderer who stabbed to death a wounded Islamic State prisoner of war, gunned unwitting civilians with his sniper rifle, bragged about racking up kills and threatened to intimidate and publicly out SEAL buddies who complained to superiors and investigators about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But during two days of testimony in his Article 32 hearing here, Gallagher\u2019s criminal defense attorneys painted a different picture of the highly-decorated SEAL, describing him as a battle-hardened hospital corpsman who properly treated a gravely-wounded ISIS fighter, only to have his reputation smeared by a handful of spiteful SEAL malcontents in the 19-man platoon who griped about his gruff leadership style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher, a veteran of eight overseas and combat deployments, is facing 14 criminal counts, including premeditated murder for allegedly stabbing to death an alleged ISIS fighter Iraqi forces brought for medical care by his SEAL Team platoon in Mosul, Iraq, in early May 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The married father and 19-year veteran of the Navy has been confined at the Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar in San Diego since his arrest on Sept. 11 at Camp Pendleton, where he was receiving treatment as a wounded warrior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He faces 14 criminal counts, including murder, aggravated assault, obstructing justice and drug charges tied to alleged pain reliever and anabolic steroid abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Nov. 30, Navy Capt. Warren Record, a military judge assigned as the hearing officer, will submit to Naval Special Warfare Group 1\u2032s commodore, Capt. Matthew D. Rosenbloom, his recommendations on which charges \u2014 if any \u2014 should be lodged against Gallagher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rosenbloom, as the initial convening authority, authorized the initial charges against Gallagher and slapped a gag order on all participants in the legal procedures that controlled how they used evidence and discussed with the public the ongoing probe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He will decide whether charges should be dropped, revised, handled non-judicially or heard at a court-martial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher is one of only two SEALs with Alpha Platoon charged so far in connection with the ISIS fighter\u2019s death. The other is Lt. Jacob \u201cJake\u201d Portier, who wasn\u2019t with Gallagher when the man was killed but is accused of failing to report rumors of the chief\u2019s alleged misconduct to superiors in his chain of command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Portier has proclaimed his innocence and believes he will be exonerated as the person who brought the war crimes allegations to superiors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only one person took the stand to testify at Gallagher\u2019s hearing, Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Joe Warpinski.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense attorneys sought to cross-examine more than a half-dozen active-duty SEALs and a retired special operator only to be told they were not available or had invoked their rights against self-incrimination, presumably to get ahead of any potential charges stemming from the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\t