HEIDELBERG, Germany — One of two soldiers accused in the November slaying of Pfc. Clint Lamebear is expected to plead guilty Friday to his involvement in the killing during a court-martial, according to V Corps officials.
Pfc. Jonathan Schroeder and Pfc. Andrew Humiston, both infantrymen assigned to Friedberg-based 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, face murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery and obstruction of justice charges in connection with Lamebear’s death.
Schroeder, 22, who pleaded not guilty May 15, is expected to change his plea to guilty Friday under a pretrial agreement with Army prosecutors.
“We expect a guilty plea, but that agreement is not a matter of public record until Schroeder complies with it,” said Hilde Patton, a V Corps spokeswoman. “We can’t elaborate on the expected guilty plea until it happens.”
Lamebear, an 18-year-old Navajo from Church Rock, N.M., was found dead Nov. 16 in a garage in Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt’s pub district. He suffered severe head injuries from a blunt piece of wood and was robbed of 40 euro, German police said.
Lamebear, who was assigned to the same unit as Schroeder and Humiston, had reported to his unit four days before his death.
Maj. Kwasi Hawks and Capt. Dean Lynch, who make up Schroeder’s defense team, could not be reached for comment.
Maj. Charles Lozano will lead the prosecution team, and Maj. Tiernan Dolan will assist.
In Humiston’s trial, set to begin Monday, Dolan takes the lead in the prosecution, assisted by Lozano.
Capt. Stephen Carpenter, Humiston’s military attorney, declined Thursday to comment on the upcoming proceedings.
Meanwhile, Houston-based attorney Guy Womack, set to arrive Friday in Germany, will lead Humiston’s defense during his court-martial next week.
No matter what Schroeder does on Friday, Womack said, he intends to call Schroeder to testify during Humiston’s trial.
“Both confessed what they did to German authorities,” Womack said. “It was an unplanned, spur-of-the moment thing.”
Humiston, 23, admitted to robbing Lamebear that night in the alleyway, as did Schroeder, Womack said.
“We’re going to make sure the truth comes out,” Womack said. “Pfc. Humiston had no involvement in the murder.”
If Humiston is convicted of robbery alone, he still faces a maximum 10-year jail sentence, Womack said.
If convicted of all of the charges, both defendants face life in prison.
Meanwhile, the Army assigned a victim witness liaison to assist Lamebear’s family, who is expected to attend the proceedings, Patton said. The Army also flew Humiston and Schroeder’s families from the States and will house them in Wiesbaden for the trial, Patton said.
