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Vela's fate to be in president's hands
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Former ambassador asked to deliver letters to Bush requesting pardon for local soldier
The father of Army Sgt. Evan Vela is trying to get President George W. Bush to pardon his son.
Vela, a soldier from St. Anthony, who was convicted of unpremeditated murder in February, was sentenced to 10 years in military prison in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
Curtis Carnahan, Vela's father, has written a letter to John D. Rood, a former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas. Carnahan is asking Rood to deliver letters requesting a pardon for Vela to the president.
The incident in question occurred 30 miles south of Baghdad in May 2007, when a five-man sniper team Vela was a part of stumbled onto Iraqi Genei Nasir al-Janabi and his son.
During Vela's trial, his attorneys said the team's leader, Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley, was concerned that al-Janabi would reveal the team's position to insurgents and ordered Vela to shoot the man, and Vela followed the order.
Vela's defense claimed he was suffering from sleep deprivation at the time.
Hensley got 135 days of confinement. Another soldier connected with the killing, Spc. Jorge Sandoval, was sentenced to five months in prison. Both were acquitted of murder charges.
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson has said Vela was "playing the role of scapegoat in a series of tragedies in a time of war." He and U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo have both requested clemency for Vela.
--Standard Journal staff
THE LETTER
To Former Ambassador John D. Rood,
Sir, I am Curtis G. Carnahan. I am the father of Sgt. Evan Vela (Carnahan). Let me begin by thanking you for the care and concern you gave last spring, by assisting Rick Fowler and I in giving our summary letter to President George W. Bush.
The last 16 months have been a very trying time for Evan and his family. The one thing that has sustained us is the continued outpouring by concerned and caring citizens of the United States of America. People from all over this great country have contacted me and have contributed much of their time, money and prayers on my son's behalf. It has been a very humbling experience and has shown me the power of the American people.
Sir, I am asking you to once again come to the aid of Sgt. Vela. We have gathered many letters asking President Bush to grant Evan a presidential pardon before he leaves office. I am asking if you could personally deliver these letters to the president, much as you did for us last May with the summary letter Rick Fowler and I prepared. I am fully aware of the magnitude of what I am asking of you, but quite frankly, sir, you are our only, best hope at a pardon.
Mr. Rood, I do not and will never believe that what my son did when he was ordered by Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley to shoot and kill Genei Nasir al-Janabi was murder. As the father of a combat ranger who is deployed in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq, Iskandariyah, I was always preparing myself for the news that he had been maimed or killed. When I was told, by his wife, Alyssa, that he had been charged with murder I was and still am disbelieving. I was compelled to hire a law team, headed by James Culp, to defend Evan. We had to travel to Baghdad three times as the government was unwilling to move the trial to the United States. Evan's battalion deployed home to Fort Richardson, Alaska last November and still the trial was held in Baghdad in February. My son's trial is the only one of many that has been held in a foreign country. I would urge you to go to our Web site FreeEvanVela.com. On the left side of the page are media links, one of them is for the article written by Tom Junod and published in the July edition of Esquire magazine. It is a very compelling story. Tom did his research very diligently and the story is the truth.
Evan is currently serving a 10-year sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Leavenworth, Kan. Evan is a sniper/ranger/soldier who volunteered to sacrifice his life in defense of our country and way of life. He simply followed the order of his unit commander. The fact that he has been found guilty of murder, stripped of his rank, pay and position and separated from his wife and children is unconscionable and I will not let it rest until justice has been served correctly and Evan has been set free.
Sir, my son is not a murderer. Please do what you can to help us reunite him with his wife, Alyssa, and his two small children, Jarom and Blair.
Thank you very much for taking the time and care you have already shown us. Have a great day.
Respectfully,
Curtis G.Carnahan
If you want to write a letter requesting President Bush to pardon Vela:
- Address your letter to President Bush
- State in your letter that it is in reference to Sgt. Evan Vela, who is Prisoner Reg No. 84486 confined at the Army Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
- State what you think of Vela's situation, how you may know him and/or heard of his story.
- Request to pardon Vela. Explain your feelings on why Vela should be pardoned.
- Add anything you would like to the letter.
Send the letters to:
Curtis G. Carnahan
PO Box 167
Parker, ID 83438
Source: www.freeevanvela.com.
The father of Army Sgt. Evan Vela is trying to get President George W. Bush to pardon his son.
Vela, a soldier from St. Anthony, who was convicted of unpremeditated murder in February, was sentenced to 10 years in military prison in Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
Curtis Carnahan, Vela's father, has written a letter to John D. Rood, a former U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas. Carnahan is asking Rood to deliver letters requesting a pardon for Vela to the president.
The incident in question occurred 30 miles south of Baghdad in May 2007, when a five-man sniper team Vela was a part of stumbled onto Iraqi Genei Nasir al-Janabi and his son.
During Vela's trial, his attorneys said the team's leader, Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley, was concerned that al-Janabi would reveal the team's position to insurgents and ordered Vela to shoot the man, and Vela followed the order.
Vela's defense claimed he was suffering from sleep deprivation at the time.
Hensley got 135 days of confinement. Another soldier connected with the killing, Spc. Jorge Sandoval, was sentenced to five months in prison. Both were acquitted of murder charges.
U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson has said Vela was "playing the role of scapegoat in a series of tragedies in a time of war." He and U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo have both requested clemency for Vela.
--Standard Journal staff
THE LETTER
To Former Ambassador John D. Rood,
Sir, I am Curtis G. Carnahan. I am the father of Sgt. Evan Vela (Carnahan). Let me begin by thanking you for the care and concern you gave last spring, by assisting Rick Fowler and I in giving our summary letter to President George W. Bush.
The last 16 months have been a very trying time for Evan and his family. The one thing that has sustained us is the continued outpouring by concerned and caring citizens of the United States of America. People from all over this great country have contacted me and have contributed much of their time, money and prayers on my son's behalf. It has been a very humbling experience and has shown me the power of the American people.
Sir, I am asking you to once again come to the aid of Sgt. Vela. We have gathered many letters asking President Bush to grant Evan a presidential pardon before he leaves office. I am asking if you could personally deliver these letters to the president, much as you did for us last May with the summary letter Rick Fowler and I prepared. I am fully aware of the magnitude of what I am asking of you, but quite frankly, sir, you are our only, best hope at a pardon.
Mr. Rood, I do not and will never believe that what my son did when he was ordered by Staff Sgt. Michael Hensley to shoot and kill Genei Nasir al-Janabi was murder. As the father of a combat ranger who is deployed in one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq, Iskandariyah, I was always preparing myself for the news that he had been maimed or killed. When I was told, by his wife, Alyssa, that he had been charged with murder I was and still am disbelieving. I was compelled to hire a law team, headed by James Culp, to defend Evan. We had to travel to Baghdad three times as the government was unwilling to move the trial to the United States. Evan's battalion deployed home to Fort Richardson, Alaska last November and still the trial was held in Baghdad in February. My son's trial is the only one of many that has been held in a foreign country. I would urge you to go to our Web site FreeEvanVela.com. On the left side of the page are media links, one of them is for the article written by Tom Junod and published in the July edition of Esquire magazine. It is a very compelling story. Tom did his research very diligently and the story is the truth.
Evan is currently serving a 10-year sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Leavenworth, Kan. Evan is a sniper/ranger/soldier who volunteered to sacrifice his life in defense of our country and way of life. He simply followed the order of his unit commander. The fact that he has been found guilty of murder, stripped of his rank, pay and position and separated from his wife and children is unconscionable and I will not let it rest until justice has been served correctly and Evan has been set free.
Sir, my son is not a murderer. Please do what you can to help us reunite him with his wife, Alyssa, and his two small children, Jarom and Blair.
Thank you very much for taking the time and care you have already shown us. Have a great day.
Respectfully,
Curtis G.Carnahan
If you want to write a letter requesting President Bush to pardon Vela:
- Address your letter to President Bush
- State in your letter that it is in reference to Sgt. Evan Vela, who is Prisoner Reg No. 84486 confined at the Army Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan.
- State what you think of Vela's situation, how you may know him and/or heard of his story.
- Request to pardon Vela. Explain your feelings on why Vela should be pardoned.
- Add anything you would like to the letter.
Send the letters to:
Curtis G. Carnahan
PO Box 167
Parker, ID 83438
Source: www.freeevanvela.com.
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