A U.S. Navy SEAL was sentenced to one year in military prison on Thursday for his role in the 2017 hazing-related death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.
Adam Matthews is the first of four U.S. service members to face military court proceedings as well as punishment for the strangulation death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Texas native.
Matthews was sentenced by a military judge at a Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, following a plea agreement he made the same day. Prosecutors dropped a murder charge in exchange for his testimony against another Navy SEAL and two Marines.
"I've carried the weight of Staff Sgt. Melgar's death every minute of every day since that night in Mali," Matthews said.
The emotionally charged, daylong court proceedings provided a window into the lives of some of the country's most elite service members. Family, friends and colleagues of both Melgar and Matthews took stock of the contributions of each man and the fallout from that night.
Matthews also offered the first detailed public account of Melgar's death, which he described as a botched attempt to "embarrass" him over "slights" perceived by the other men.
Matthews said he joined the group in Mali's capital of Bamako only 36 hours before the incident in June 2017. He said colleagues quickly filled him in on their concerns about Melgar.
Among the perceived slights was an incident in which Melgar was driving his motorcycle to a party at a diplomatic embassy in the capital city. Two Marines were following in another vehicle before Melgar drove off, Matthews said.
Matthews suggested that the Marines felt Melgar had abandoned them in an unsafe city that's been the target of terrorist activity.
Sometime later, Matthews said that he and the others broke down Melgar's bedroom door with a sledgehammer for "dramatic effect." Then they bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape.
They planned to record the incident on video to embarrass Melgar in what Matthews described as a "known remediation," or hazing ritual, within the special forces community.
At some point, Matthews said, the other Navy SEAL applied a chokehold to Melgar, who became unresponsive and was unable to be resuscitated.
"I am truly sorry," Matthews told the court.
Alexander Jackson
Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges as well as attempts to cover up the crime.
During the sentencing phase, friends and family described Matthews as that "100-pound kid who wanted to be a Navy SEAL that nobody thought could be."
Matthews displayed a picture of the Twin Towers at his home and suffered injuries in Afghanistan, earning a Purple Heart, among other medals.
Melgar was fearless and "unflappable" under enemy fire, his colleagues said. He was meticulous when it came to his job, which included finding explosives in Afghanistan at night while bullets struck the trees above him.
His wife, Michelle Melgar, testified that her husband told her about the "immature" SEALs that he was having trouble with. She also thanked Matthews for coming forward with the truth.
Melgar's mother, Nitza Melgar, was less forgiving. She told Matthews: "You are a disgrace to your Purple Heart."
Matthews still faces the possibility of receiving a military discharge for bad conduct, which could lead to a loss in veteran's benefits.
Judge Capt. Michael Luken said the type of discharge will be left up to an admiral. It will also be contingent on Matthews' continued cooperation and input from the Melgar family, the judge said.
it's pretty silly if you think about it especially considering >Matthews still faces the possibility of receiving a military discharge for bad conduct, which could lead to a loss in veteran's benefits. so he hasn't actually been discharged yet, and might not even get discharged at all
Justin Johnson
Is this the incident where the green beret found out about some shady shit the seals were up to, so they killed him to keep him quiet or am I thinking of something else?
Jason Russell
ego, drugs, nearly unlimited resources.
Connor Flores
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the one where he saw something he wasn't supposed to, they broke into his room while he was sleeping, and then proceeded to murder him.
David Russell
Wait, they're treating an obvious murder like an accident?
Isaac Green
Every part of the military is comparable to a highschool clique. SEALs are the retard jocks that get all their friends killed while drunk driving after prom.
Joshua Clark
Are you surprised? It's the same court system that solves rape problems by forcing victims to retire and sending offenders to other duty stations without punishment.
Mason Turner
This shit wouldn't happen as often if they just hung everyone involved. That would be a stop to it right then and there.
Jason Garcia
They were bringing whores and skimming bribe fund money as seals tend to do, he was going to expose them so they choked him out
Gabriel Powell
Why does the general American populace worship these mental toddlers again?
Meanwhile the people they pick up get life without trial for dear donnies dick
Carson Morales
You think the enlisted are bad? Look at the Fat Leonard probe, it goes all the way to the admiralty.
Robert Mitchell
Sounds like bullshit, what is the real reason they killed him? Where these stupid fucks involved in smuggling shit in and out?
Daniel Reed
The general American populace has no connection or relation to the military whatsoever. This is because we have accidentally created a de facto warrior caste. Around something like 80% of new recruits are related to a prior service member, about half of that are the children of prior service members.
SEALs are immature arrogant jackasses that are only good for book and movie deals- More news at 11!
Aiden Richardson
>Then they bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape. >At some point, Matthews said, the other Navy SEAL applied a chokehold to Melgar, who became unresponsive and was unable to be resuscitated. To be this much in the closet. Just fuck and get it over with already. Geez.
True, they have no connection, but they love to suck MIC cock. Especially boomers.
Aiden Gonzalez
>century worth
Don't be retarded. It's all post-Vietnam guilt for how we treated our soldiers.
Robert Price
Incoming book.
James Sanders
what kind of spastic who played yugioh at lunch calls people jocks? are you embarrassed you never engaged in physical activity or sports?
John Hughes
>>Then they bound his wrists and ankles with duct tape. >>At some point, Matthews said, the other Navy SEAL applied a chokehold to Melgar, who became unresponsive and was unable to be resuscitated. >To be this much in the closet. seriously this. what kind of fucking faggots are in the military?
also, this sounds like straight up murder
Benjamin Collins
I think that the creation of a “warrior caste” was an accidental side-effect of making it taboo to criticize the military and, consequently, the wars it fights in.
I live in San Diego and my childhood best friend is a nuke. Through him I’ve had the chance to meet two SEALs: One has been retired from the military since the 90s and is an AP English and Music Theory teacher at a local high school who’s actually a really humble, cool guy. The other is currently in service and is an absolute nigger. That retarded faggot got into a fight with a bouncer at a club in Pacific Beach and got his ass beat the first time I met him just because the bouncer wouldn’t let him in without paying.
Owen Allen
I mean they were in Africa.
Ian Sanders
>Jow Forums surprised by alpha male jocks acting like alpha male jocks >muh quiet professionals >thinks getting duct taped is hardcore Shame this dude died, but anybody who knows will take this article at face value. Dole out the punishments and move on.
SOF dudes beef all the time over this same shit and other pissing matches. Far worse and more dangerous pranks occur, and this is fairly light/basic shit aside from it going sideways. Instructors pull sketchier pranks during evolutions and exercises regularly, believe that.
Nolan Scott
you dont know? the green beret was getting mad at them for bringing back prostitutes and drugs. they were using gov funds to purchase that shit. and he felt it endangered their mission. they were afraid the green beret was going to tell on them, so they murdered him.
Joshua Ortiz
You and them both sound like a pack of unprofessional niggers. Alpha male my hairy ass.
Parker Martin
>Mali >prostitutes and drugs >gov funds user, pray tell, how much do you think a hooker and a gram of blow cost in Africa?
>the Jow Forumsommando leans back in his chair >the theme from crimson tide builds in the distance >the professionalism and integrity of SOF shall not be questioned again >not on his board I am sorry to break this to you user, but most of the dudes in SOF are the kind of guys who would have fucked with you relentlessly in school. That humble quiet professional shit doesn’t really settle in until you’re out of service and too old to keep backing up the attitude, look at the entire marine corps.
Killing somebody through "incompetence and negligence" is never put on the same level as deliberate murder. Or at least, it shouldn't be.
Aaron King
It was less that the hookers and blow were drying up the funds and more that they were requesting funds to pay informants, getting minimal or no info, killing the informants and pocketing the money. t. Eod that's worked with 1st and 7th sfg
Jace Wilson
He'll serve three months, paper work and prisoner gets lot, next is we see him in Iran shortly after.
Hunter Anderson
>killing the informants and pocketing the money. da fuk lol
Well, there is a lot of plausible deniability to it. If an informant dies, most people are just going to assume that the opposition found out and whacked him.
Xavier White
>also, this sounds like straight up murder what nobody is mentioning anymore is the bribe money the SEAL's were pocketing
Ryan Gonzalez
bump
Caleb Bell
Better. Bring back the disciplinary methods of the Roman legions.
Grayson Moore
Nah. We need prisoner units like Bad Company
Aiden Ramirez
just a prank bro
Ayden Kelly
>prisoner units
yeah that'll be great for america's PR when fire team negro is filmed raping villages. inb4 some edgey child opinion like 'who cares what everyone thinks?'
Nolan Miller
What's great is that the chokehold thing is something inmates regularly do when they go and get some boy-pussy
Juan Brown
>Severe discipline problems in the military >"Better bring in fucking inmates!"
Sebastian Edwards
My guess is is correct and the seals needed him dead, judges went in on it because it wasn’t just the three seals alone. Maybe something about drug running with their cia buddies? Has to be pretty commonplace, shit they make shows about it on Netflix, brad Pitt was in a fictional one.
Christopher King
something something 40k
Brayden Martin
Grunt here, he's absolutely right. They also steal shit and feel no remorse over it. Honor is a dead concept, they're all fucking niggers.
Angel Nelson
>some guy fucks up >let's slaughter a tenth of his unit to teach him a lesson! You're retarded, decimation was retarded.
Ayden Ward
It was a punishment for when an entire unit fucks up.
Jace Jenkins
If he's spilling his guts to prosecutors then he's a gutless commie who never was fit to wear the uniform anyway. Would have broken during interrogation by the enemy.
Alexander Cooper
Lol remember when someone leaked that both the SEALs involved in this guy's death were his former roommates and were under investigation for stealing cash used to bribe local officials?
Very unsubtle attempt by the military to bury widespread corruption
Lucas Morris
Being a Seal used to mean something
Jaxon Stewart
>yeah that'll be great for america's PR when fire team negro is filmed raping villages
Do blue falcons get the same treatment in military prisons that snitches get in civvie prisons?
Jaxson James
Most of the long tabs I've worked with are exactly the quiet professional type. I just graduated pathfinder where I had a tabbed instructor that you'd never suspect was some elite soldier outside of uniform. Never worked or interacted with seals but it seems like they're the cocky in your face type of dudes. We still have plenty of them in batt but we also have more checks and balances as in standard infantry units
Nathaniel Morris
The seals are the guys that brag about being cutting edge warriors but get their shit pushed in by goat herders. The seals have two issues an over reliance on technological superiority and an attitude where they think they are bullet proof
Elijah Hughes
>money >drugs >SOF involvement >light sentence for obvious murder Yep, sounds right up the CIA's alley. The fact that everyone up high has been quiet about this indecent is also telling.
Luke White
While the sentence is too light, they typically keep the guys "in" until their sentence is served.
If they discharge him first, it's harder to charge him under the UCMJ. If he's still in, the JAGs can go through with the trial and sentence him.
Ryder Smith
don't worry, the greatest punishment will be their names engraved on the "Rock of Shame" at the Devgru compound. It's worse than death
Brandon Cook
maybe the seal boys will have there necks broken in an accident a few years latter like most people who fuck with spec ops guys
>hazing >literally tying a man down and choking him to death I can understand shit like blood wings but come on now
Leo Morgan
With US military law he has to be active duty to serve in prison. His pay will be 100% docked unless he is married in which his wife will receive BAH and BAS. Afterwards he will likely receive a bad conduct or dishonorable discharge.
Jose Parker
That never happens and the accusations of sexual assault alone ruin careers you liar.
Asher Fisher
Yeah so unfair. They should jusr shoot those spics instead you incel.
Robert Perez
bump
Blake Bennett
Yo spec ops dude ayyyy lmao
Sebastian Gonzalez
>Fire team negro My sides
Jason Hernandez
>pick up Enlistment two days ago >see this post >am a decendant of 10 generations of American soldier Welfare queen samurai? You betcha!
