Marine Charged With Murder

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31755, 12 August 1968, Page 13

Marine Charged With Murder

GV.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

DA NANG, August 11.

A 20-year-old United States marine has been charged with the battlefield murder of five Vietnamese civilians — one of whom was hanged and two executed by a firing squad, the Associated Press reports.

In addition to five murder charges against Lance-Cor-poral Denzil R. Allen, individual murder charges had been brought against six other marines, authorities said.

A spokesman said that a pre-trial investigation disclosed the slaying took place early in May near a small village just south of Hue.

Allen and five other marines were sent out from a patrol base on May 5 to set up an ambush, the investigation report said. As they were setting up the ambush, two Vietnamese men with suspect identification papers were seized.

The two prisoners were questioned and taken behind a small shack. Their bodies

were found later, each with two bullet wounds from an Ml 6 rifle. At dawn a five-man squad was sent to reinforce Allen s position. On the way the squad picked up three males of military age with suspect identification papers. At Allen’s position, the report said, two of the' men were marched on to a small bridge and a firing squad shot them. The third man was taken to a nearby house. The report said Allen fastened a nylon cord to the man's neck and to a roof beam and another marine kicked away his chair. Testimony in the inves’igation said Allen then took a knife and cut the man’s throat.