BOISE-- New information may help the case of a Boise soldier whose military murder trial begins in less than three months.
Private First Class Andrew Holmes, 20, is accused of killing an Afghan civilian, but a sworn statement from another soldier suggests his charges were based on false information.
The family of Andrew Holmes and his attorney say this information validates what their soldier has been saying all along: that he didn't do the crime.
"We have always known that Andy was telling the truth," said Dana Holmes.
Holmes’ mother, Dana, says her son has been wrongly accused of murder by Private Jeremy Morlock, who himself has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for his involvement in the deaths of Afghan civilians.
This week, a written statement from Morlock's former cellmate was introduced as evidence in related military hearings.
Private Ron Washington alleges Morlock made up stories about Holmes and another soldier accused of murder in hopes of getting a lighter sentence.
"I think it just goes to show the difference in credibility. You have most of the platoon standing behind Andy and saying he wasn't involved," said Dana Holmes. "And you have one person saying he was involved. And the credibility of that one person keeps going further down, further down, further down."
Holmes' parents and attorney have maintained that Holmes was being used as a cover story, that there is no forensic evidence and the government's case is largely built on statements made by the unreliable Morlock.
"Private Morlock indicated he was spreading the blame to include Holmes and Wagnon in order to try and get a better deal, which in fact it worked even though those individuals were not involved in any plots to kill people," said Holmes’ attorney Daniel Conway.
Conway says there is a total of two soldiers who allege that Morlock made up the accusations against Holmes: Ron Washington, who served time in military custody with Morlock, the other served with Morlock in Afghanistan.
Dana Holmes says those two witnesses are strangers to each other.
"The only time Jeremy has told the same story was to those two people," said Dana Holmes. "Who don't know each other?" asked reporter Nishi Gupta. "Correct."
Now the family and attorney continue to wait and prepare for Holmes’ military trial.
It is scheduled to begin on September 19th at Joint Base Lewis McChord.
