That’s the latest news in the case of Sergeant Bales, who is stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (just south of Tacoma). As you have probably heard, he is accused of killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan:

The Army has charged that Sergeant Bales, 39, who was serving his fourth combat tour, walked away from a remote outpost in southern Afghanistan and shot and stabbed members of several families in an ambush in two villages in the early morning hours of March 11. At least nine of the people he is accused of killing were children.

Sergeant Bales has pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers have cited post-traumatic stress and a head injury. (Also note: four combat tours.) For the death penalty to be imposed, “the court-martial panel must unanimously find Sergeant Bales guilty” and then the death sentence must “be approved by the president to be carried out.”

Christopher Frizzelle was The Stranger's print editor, and first joined the staff in 2003. He was the editor-in-chief from 2007 to 2016, and edited the story by Eli Sanders that won a 2012 Pulitzer...