{{Short description|American mass murderer}} {{about||the American social psychologist|Robert F. Bales}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox murderer | name = Robert Bales | image = Robert Bales, March 2012.jpg{{!}}border | image_size = | caption = Bales in March 2012 | birth_name = | occupation = Former [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] soldier | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1973|6|30}} | birth_place = [[Norwood, Ohio|Norwood]], [[Ohio]], U.S. | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | alma_mater = [[Ohio State University]] | spouse = Karilyn Bales | children = 2 | date = {{Start date|2012|3|11}} | time = 03:00 [[Time in Afghanistan|AFT]] | targets = Afghan [[civilian]]s | locations = [[Balandi]] and [[Alkozai]] villages of [[Afghanistan]] | fatalities = 16 | injuries = 6 | weapons = [[M4 carbine]] and [[M9 pistol|M9 sidearm]]; some victims were found with both gunshot and stab wounds. | imprisoned = [[United States Disciplinary Barracks]] | conviction = {{ubl|[[Premeditated murder]] (16 counts)|[[Attempted murder|Attempted premeditated murder]] (6 counts)|[[Assault|Assault with a dangerous weapon]] (7 counts)}} | criminal_status = [[Incarcerated]] | criminal_penalty = [[Life imprisonment]] [[dishonorably discharge|Dishonorable Discharge]] | known_for = [[Kandahar massacre]] }} '''Robert "Bobby" Bales''' (born June 30, 1973) is an American mass murderer, convicted war criminal, and former [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[sniper]] who murdered 16 Afghan [[civilian]]s in a [[mass shooting]] in [[Panjwayi District]], [[Kandahar Province]], [[Afghanistan]], on March 11, 2012 – an event known as the [[Kandahar massacre]].
In order to avoid a possible [[Capital punishment by the United States military|death sentence]], Bales pleaded guilty to 16 counts of murder, six counts of [[attempted murder]], and seven counts of assault in a [[Plea bargaining in the United States|plea deal]].<ref>{{Cite news|date=June 5, 2013|title=Staff Sgt Robert Bales admits Afghan massacre|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22788987|access-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref> On August 23, 2013, he was sentenced to [[Life imprisonment in the United States|life in prison]] without [[parole]].<ref name=GetsLife>{{cite news|title=Soldier Gets Life Without Parole in Deaths of Afghan Civilians|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/us/soldier-gets-life-without-parole-in-deaths-of-afghan-civilians.html?emc=edit_na_20130823&_r=0|work=[[The New York Times]]| date=August 23, 2013 |access-date=August 23, 2013| last1=Healy | first1=Jack }}</ref> Before sentencing, Bales expressed his regret by referring to the murders as "an act of cowardice".<ref name="Gurfein2021">{{cite news |last1=Gurfein |first1=David |date=January 4, 2021 |title=President Trump Must Act on Behalf of Robert Bales and Other Convicted Warfighters |work=Military.com |url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/opinions/2021/01/04/president-trump-must-act-behalf-of-robert-bales-and-other-convicted-warfighters.html}}</ref> While Bales has exhausted all military appeals, his attorney announced in 2019 that he would be seeking a new trial in civilian court due to possible side effects of [[mefloquine]], an anti-[[malaria]] drug that Bales claims to have been taking at the time of the shooting.<ref name=Gurfein2021 />
== Early life and education == Bales was born on June 30, 1973,<ref>''U.S. Public Records Index'' Vol 1 (Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.), 2010.</ref> and raised in [[Norwood, Ohio]], near [[Cincinnati]], the youngest of five brothers. He attended [[Norwood High School (Ohio)|Norwood High School]] where he played [[American football|football]] and was named [[class president]].<ref name=Clark2012>{{cite journal |last1=Clark |first1=Champ |title=What Happened to Bobby? |journal=People |volume=77 |issue=14 |date=April 2012 |pages=58–62}}</ref> After high school Bales briefly enrolled at [[College of Mount St. Joseph]], then transferred to [[Ohio State University]], where he studied [[economics]] for three years, but left without graduating in 1996.<ref name=ourbobby> Dao, James. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/us/sgt-robert-bales-from-small-town-ohio-to-afghanistan.html?pagewanted=all At Home, Asking How 'Our Bobby' Became War Crime Suspect] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151010201608/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/19/us/sgt-robert-bales-from-small-town-ohio-to-afghanistan.html?pagewanted=all |date=October 10, 2015}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012. </ref><ref name=back1>{{cite news|title=Money, job strife dogged accused Afghan shooter|url=http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/03/ap-money-job-strife-dogged-accused-afghan-shooter-031812|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[Army Times]]|date=March 18, 2012|access-date=March 19, 2012|archive-date=May 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200524154528/http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/03/ap-money-job-strife-dogged-accused-afghan-shooter-031812/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=back2> {{cite news|title=Suspect in Afghanistan shootings had fallen on hard times|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-robert-bales-20120318,0,984297.story|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319025124/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-robert-bales-20120318,0,984297.story|archive-date=March 19, 2012|url-status=live}} </ref>
After leaving college, Bales worked as a [[stockbroker]] at five financial services firms in [[Columbus, Ohio]].<ref name=shaky /> The firms were related, sharing employees and corporate offices. During that period, while employed with Michael Patterson, Inc., Bales and the firm engaged in fraudulent securities activities.<ref name=shaky>"[http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-03/D9TL0Q880.htm "Afghanistan suspect had shaky business dealings"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118022335/http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-03/D9TL0Q880.htm |date=November 18, 2014}}, ''Bloomberg BusinessWeek''. Retrieved March 22, 2012.</ref> In 2003, an [[arbitration]] panel found both Bales and his employer liable for financial fraud related to the handling of a retirement account and ordered them to pay $1.2 million in [[civil damages]]. Gary Liebschner, the victim, said he "never got paid a penny" of the award.<ref name=Clark2012 /><ref>{{cite news|title=Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was found liable in financial fraud|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/staff-sgt-robert-bales-was-found-liable-in-financial-fraud/2012/03/19/gIQA4Ni2NS_story.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=March 20, 2012|access-date=March 20, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120320060522/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/staff-sgt-robert-bales-was-found-liable-in-financial-fraud/2012/03/19/gIQA4Ni2NS_story.html|archive-date=March 20, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> According to Liebschner's lawyer, they had not pursued legal action against Bales to collect the judgment because they were unable to locate Bales, who had joined the U.S. Army at age 28, just 18 months after the long-running arbitration case was filed.<ref>Henderson, Peter, and Jed Horowitz, "Afghan Shooting Suspect Did Not Pay Fraud Judgment", [[Reuters]]; March 21, 2012.</ref>
In May 1999, while still employed with a securities firm in Ohio, Bales, his brother Mark, and [[Marc Edwards (American football)|Marc Edwards]] co-founded a financial services firm named Spartina Investments in [[Doral, Florida]]. The state dissolved Spartina in September 2000, after the company failed to file its annual report in a timely manner.<ref>[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-23/bales-had-troubled-broker-career-before-war-crimes-allegations.html Profile of Bales] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313001844/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-23/bales-had-troubled-broker-career-before-war-crimes-allegations.html |date=March 13, 2014}}, Bloomberg L.P./news, March 23, 2012. </ref>
Bales' brother-in-law stated that Bales joined the Army after the [[September 11 attacks]] because he "felt it was something he should do because he felt he had to make something right" and that joining the Army was his way of vindicating himself.<ref name="gq.com" />
In 2002, Bales was charged with assaulting his then-girlfriend and ordered to undergo [[anger-management]] counseling.<ref name=Clark2012 />
In 2003, Bales met his later wife-to-be Kari Primeau while she was at a bar supporting her friend's band. Kari states that Bales was a man "full of enthusiasm, eager to tell her every little thing he was learning about war and how to wage it," until he deployed to Iraq. Their relationship grew serious while he was overseas.<ref name = "gq.com" />
In 2008, Bales was briefly detained after fleeing a [[hit and run]].<ref name=Clark2012 />
==Career== [[File:Robert Bales.jpg|thumb|Bales at the [[Fort Irwin National Training Center]] in August 2011]] Bales enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 2001, shortly after the [[September 11 attacks]].<ref> {{cite news|title=Afghan shooting suspect did not pay fraud judgment|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-soldier-fraud-idUSBRE82K1IY20120322|work=Reuters|date=March 22, 2012|access-date=March 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322164228/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/22/us-usa-afghanistan-soldier-fraud-idUSBRE82K1IY20120322|archive-date=March 22, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> He was initially assigned to the 2nd Battalion, [[3rd Infantry Regiment (United States)|3rd Infantry]] of the 3rd Stryker Brigade, [[2nd Infantry Division (United States)|2nd Infantry Division]] in [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Fort Lewis]].<ref name="MSNBC">{{cite web|url=http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/12/10649090-us-soldier-accused-in-afghan-massacre-had-brain-injury-history|title=US soldier accused in Afghan massacre had brain injury history|publisher=MSNBC|access-date=March 12, 2012|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313083834/http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/12/10649090-us-soldier-accused-in-afghan-massacre-had-brain-injury-history|archive-date=March 13, 2012}}</ref> He completed three [[Tour of duty|tours]] in the [[Iraq War]]: twelve months in 2003 and 2004, fifteen months in 2006 and 2007, and ten months in 2009 and 2010.<ref name=ourbobby /> During the 2007 tour, he reportedly injured his foot in the [[Battle of Najaf (2007)|Battle of Najaf]],<ref name=ourbobby /> and during the 2010 tour, he was treated for traumatic brain injury after his vehicle was rolled in an accident.<ref name=MSNBC />
According to public records, Bales had been involved in several incidents while stationed at Fort Lewis which had resulted in the police responding. In 2002, he got into a fight with a security guard at a Tacoma area casino and was charged with [[misdemeanor]] criminal assault, but the charge was dismissed after he paid a small fine and attended anger management classes.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-robert-bales-assault-20120321,0,1810864.story |title=Robert Bales: 2002 assault case involved casino guard |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=March 22, 2012}}</ref> Another confrontation outside of a bar in 2008 was also reported to police, but no charges were filed.<ref> Baker, Mike and Manuel Valdes. [https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/apnewsbreak-massacre-suspect-2nd-assault-case-15982446#.T2vVdVGKyQo "Soldier Accused of 2nd Assault"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323064806/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/apnewsbreak-massacre-suspect-2nd-assault-case-15982446#.T2vVdVGKyQo |date=March 23, 2012}}, ABC News. Retrieved March 22, 2012. </ref>
Bales was promoted to [[Staff sergeant#U.S. Army|staff sergeant]] (SSG) on April 1, 2008, which made him responsible for nineteen men, whom he believed were insufficiently prepared. It was also at this time that he became increasingly critical about Special Forces superiors, claiming that they were too passive towards the enemy, accompanied by a hostile attitude and a belief that he was not being granted the respect that he believed he had earned.<ref name="gq.com"/><ref name=ssgt>{{cite web|url=http://www.armytimes.com/article/20120317/NEWS/203170301/Staff-Sgt-Robert-Bales-identified-Afghan-killings|title=Staff Sgt. Robert Bales identified in Afghan killings|work=Army Times|access-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> While in Iraq, Bales was injured twice and sustained 10 [[improvised explosive device|IED]] blasts.<ref name="Gurfein2021" /> In 2010, it is speculated, he may have sustained a traumatic brain injury when his humvee flipped over.<ref name=Clark2012 /> He received orders of [[Military deployment|deployment]] to Afghanistan in December 2011, which were speculated to have caused marital conflict and financial strain because his family was not expecting him to be deployed again.<ref name=Clark2012 /> On February 1, 2012, he was assigned to Camp Belambai in the Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, where he was responsible for providing base security for [[Special Forces (United States Army)|U.S. Army Special Forces]] and [[United States Navy SEALs|U.S. Navy SEALs]] who were engaged in village stability operations.<ref name=katu> {{cite web|url=http://www.katu.com/news/national/Report-Soldier-accused-in-Afghan-killings-from-Lewis-McChord-142249635.html|title=Lewis-McChord soldier accused in killings of Afghan civilians|publisher=[[KATU]]|date=March 11, 2012|access-date=March 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315043807/http://www.katu.com/news/national/Report-Soldier-accused-in-Afghan-killings-from-Lewis-McChord-142249635.html|archive-date=March 15, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name=csm>{{cite news|title=Taliban fire on Afghan president's brothers at shooting memorial service|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0313/Taliban-fire-on-Afghan-president-s-brothers-at-shooting-memorial-service|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|agency=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 13, 2012|access-date=March 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314124717/http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0313/Taliban-fire-on-Afghan-president-s-brothers-at-shooting-memorial-service|archive-date=March 14, 2012|url-status = live}} </ref>
===Kandahar massacre=== {{Main|Kandahar massacre}} On March 10, Bales was posted to guard duty with a [[Private (rank)#United States|private]] in his unit, with whom he discussed a [[promotion (rank)|promotion]] that he wanted and thought he deserved, since he had already been passed over for the promotion once before. While on watch, Bales saw lights flashing on and off in the nearby villages of Naja Bien and Alikozai, and concluded that [[Taliban insurgent]]s were communicating with light signals. When he was relieved of guard duty at 9:00{{nbs}}pm, he claims that he alerted the new guard team of this and that they did not take him seriously, but the Army denies that the conversation ever took place. He then joined SSG David Godwin and [[Sergeant#United States|Sergeant]] (SGT) Jason McLaughlin to drink whiskey mixed with diet soda from a plastic water bottle, although drinking alcohol was prohibited on base. Bales says he had had six or seven drinks over the next couple of hours while watching the movie ''[[Man on Fire (2004 film)|Man on Fire]]'' – a revenge [[action film]] about an ex-military [[bodyguard]] who goes on a murderous rampage after the girl he has been hired to protect is [[kidnap]]ped and presumed dead. According to the Army's investigation, as Bales became increasingly intoxicated, he once again discussed his prospective promotion to Sergeant First Class, the anger he felt about his comrades being seriously injured by [[insurgent]] attacks, his complaints about the leadership of the [[Green Berets]], his marriage, and his financial troubles. Around midnight, Bales consumed a handful of over-the-counter [[sleeping pill]]s, stating that he had not slept in days and wanted to rest. The pills did not move him to sleep, so he took his concerns to Green Beret SGT Clayton Blackshear, emphasizing that he felt he and his men were not doing enough to stop [[Taliban]] insurgents from operating freely in the area and targeting US soldiers. Bales also requested to take Blackshear's place and run point when the men were patrolling on foot—a job that Bales had done while in Iraq. Per Blackshear's testimony in the Army's investigation, Bales said that he did not care if he died in the line of duty, because his life did not matter as much as the lives of Blackshear and younger soldiers. Blackshear informed Bales that the Green Berets were short-staffed and could not take decisive action until their forces were replenished. Bales then went back to his room and lay awake.<ref name=gq.com/>
In the early morning hours of March 11, 2012, Bales killed 16 Afghan civilians (nine children, some as young as two years old, four women and three men) in the villages of [[Balandi]] and [[Alkozai]] in the Panjwayi District of Kandahar Province<ref name=Clark2012 /> near Camp Belambai.<ref name="usatoday2">{{cite news|title=U.S. now counts 17 dead in Afghan massacre|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/afghanistan/story/2012-03-22/17-dead-in-afghan-massacre/53704660/1|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=March 22, 2012|access-date=March 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323010545/http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/afghanistan/story/2012-03-22/17-dead-in-afghan-massacre/53704660/1|archive-date=March 23, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref><ref name=USAToday>{{cite news|title=U.S. servicemember opens fire on Afghans; at least 15 dead|agency=Associated Press|work=USA Today|date=March 11, 2012|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-11/afganistan-civilian-shootings/53472526/1|access-date=March 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311132750/http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/story/2012-03-11/afganistan-civilian-shootings/53472526/1|archive-date=March 11, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> According to official reports, Bales left combat outpost Camp Belamby at 3:00{{nbs}}am local time wearing [[night vision goggles]].<ref name=nj>{{cite news |title=Afghans Want to Know if U.S. Soldier Acted Alone |first=John |last=Hudson |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/afghans-want-to-know-if-u-s-soldier-acted-alone-20120312 |journal=[[National Journal]] |date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2012 |archive-date=May 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511081950/http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/afghans-want-to-know-if-u-s-soldier-acted-alone-20120312 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/sgt-robert-bales-family-man-good-soldier/story?id=15942005#.T2UEkFE5is8 |title=Staff Sgt. Robert Bales' Neighbors Described Afghan Massacre Suspect As 'Good Guy' |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=March 17, 2012 |access-date=April 22, 2012}}</ref> Bales was wearing traditional Afghan clothing over his [[Army Combat Uniform|ACU]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Revealed: Rogue US soldier dressed in Afghan clothes and wore night goggles to embark on mission of murder |url=http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/03/13/revealed-rogue-us-soldier-dressed-in-afghan-clothes-and-wore-night-goggles-to-embark-on-mission-of-murder-86908-23786478/ |newspaper=Daily Record |date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=March 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329113242/http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2012/03/13/revealed-rogue-us-soldier-dressed-in-afghan-clothes-and-wore-night-goggles-to-embark-on-mission-of-murder-86908-23786478/ |archive-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref><ref name=video>{{cite news |title=Defense Secretary Panetta arrives in Afghanistan on unannounced visit after shooting rampage |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/defense-secretary-panetta-arrives-in-afghanistan-on-unannounced-visit-after-shooting-rampage |work=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=March 14, 2012 |access-date=March 15, 2012}}</ref><ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46714928/ns/local_news-clarksburg_wv/t/afghan-villagers-recount-weekend-shooting-rampage/ Afghan villagers recount weekend shooting rampage] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319063918/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46714928/ns/local_news-clarksburg_wv/t/afghan-villagers-recount-weekend-shooting-rampage |date=March 19, 2012}}, ''[[MSNBC]]'' (March 13, 2012)</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Killings baffle investigators |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/15/2067581/killings-baffle-investigators.html |newspaper=[[The News Tribune]] |date=March 15, 2012 |access-date=March 15, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120917145513/http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/03/15/2067581/killings-baffle-investigators.html |archive-date=September 17, 2012}}</ref><ref name=USAToday /> Government officials with knowledge of the investigation state that the killings were carried out in two phases, with Bales returning to base in between. An Afghan guard reported a soldier returning to base at 1:30{{nbs}}am, and another guard reported a soldier leaving at 2:30{{nbs}}am.<ref name="ap-2phase">{{cite web |url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_AFGHANISTAN_BALES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-03-24-16-50-23 |title=US Afghanistan Bales |access-date=March 26, 2012 |archive-date=March 25, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325201835/http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_US_AFGHANISTAN_BALES?SITE=NCSAI&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bales is believed to have first gone to Alkozai, about {{convert|1/2|mi}} north of Camp Belambay, then to Najiban (called [[Balandi]] in earlier reports), located {{convert|1+1/2|mi}} south of the base.<ref>Murphy, Kim and Ned Parker, "Afghan Massacre A Hard Case For Army", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', November 5, 2012, p. 1</ref> Four people were killed and six wounded in Alkozai, and twelve people were killed in Najiban. U.S. sentries at the base heard gunshots in Alkozai, but did not take action besides attempting to view Alkozai from their post inside the base.<ref>[[Kim Murphy (journalist)|Murphy, Kim]], "U.S. Soldiers Heard Gunfire But Didn't Act", ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', November 7, 2012, p.21</ref> Until March 22, U.S. authorities recognized 16 people killed, including nine children, four men, and three women.<ref name=USAToday /> On March 22 that number was revised to 17,<ref name="usatoday2" /> but later reduced back to 16.<ref name=dropped /> It was initially reported that five others were injured, and that number was eventually increased to six.<ref name=USAToday />
When Bales returned to the base to resupply his [[ammunition]], he states that he told one of the sergeants that he was drinking with earlier that night that he had "just killed some military-aged males in Alikozai, that he was going to go to Naja Bien to finish it", and that he wanted the Sergeant to "take care of his wife and kids." The sergeant was reportedly irritated, half asleep, and did not believe him, only relenting to "take care of Bales' kids" so that he would leave him to go back to sleep. Bales claims that he expected not to come back to the base. He left for the second time after resupplying his ammo, adding [[grenade]]s and a grenade launcher to his resources.<ref name=gq.com/>
Bales stated in an interview that he went to the homes of suspected insurgents, where insurgent satellite phones, bombs, and rifles had been found. In the same interview, Bales states that he did not find any of the enemy cache that he had been looking for. He also reported being disoriented when he left the last villagers' home, realizing that he was now cold, wearing only a T-shirt and army pants.<ref name=gq.com/>
According to the Army, Bales burned some of the victims' bodies, an act considered [[desecration]] under [[Islamic law]].{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Bales claims that he did not do this, stating that it must have been a lantern that was knocked over.<ref name=gq.com/> Witnesses said that the eleven corpses from one family were shot in the head, stabbed, then gathered into one room and set on fire.<ref name=home>{{cite news |title=An Afghan Comes Home to a Massacre |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/world/asia/us-army-sergeant-suspected-in-afghanistan-shooting.html?_r=1 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2012 |first1=Taimoor |last1=Shah |first2=Graham |last2=Bowley}}</ref><ref name=USAToday /><ref>{{cite news|title=Afghans Bury Victims of American Soldier's Rampage as Restraint Is Urged |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-12/afghans-bury-victims-of-american-soldier-s-rampage-as-restraint-is-urged |magazine=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]] |date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315073251/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-12/afghans-bury-victims-of-american-soldier-s-rampage-as-restraint-is-urged |archive-date=March 15, 2012}}</ref> A pile of ashes was found on the floor of one victims' house; at least one child's body was found partially charred.<ref>{{cite news |title=How it happened: Massacre in Kandahar |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17334643 |work=[[BBC]] |date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=March 13, 2012}}</ref> A reporter for ''[[The New York Times]]'' inspected the children's bodies taken to a nearby American military base and reported seeing burns on some of the legs and heads.<ref name=home />
When Bales exited the last house in Naja Bien, the commanding officer of the Green Berets, CPT Daniel Fields, ordered a rescue team to begin scouring the area around the base for SSG Bales, also dispatching the Persistent Ground Surveillance System, a high tech air balloon with a thermal camera attached to it. At 4:30 am, the camera picked up SSG Bales' signal, walking back to the base. At 4:47 am, Bales approached the base, weapons of his fellow Americans pointed at him. He was then disarmed and turned over to the Green Berets.<ref name=gq.com/>
According to the Army, Bales went back and forth for the next eight hours between [[confess]]ing and obstructing the investigation. Afghans from the surrounding villages had loaded the bodies of the victims onto trucks and were bringing them to the base.<ref name=gq.com/>
On March 24, U.S. Army investigators said Bales was the sole person responsible for the shootings, which were the result of two separate attacks. Investigators said Bales returned to Camp Belambai after the first attack and left the camp an hour later to commit the second.<ref name=defense /><ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-believes-accused-soldier-split-killing-spree-15994471 "US Believes Accused Soldier Split Killing Spree"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327023301/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/us-believes-accused-soldier-split-killing-spree-15994471 |date=March 27, 2012}}" AP via ABC News.</ref> It was reported that when he finally returned to the camp and surrendered his weapon, it was wrapped in an Afghan shawl.<ref name=Clark2012 /> After being arrested, Bales sought out attorney [[John Henry Browne]], well known in Washington state for reducing his clients' potentially hefty prison sentences and representing serial killer [[Ted Bundy]] in court.<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012">{{cite journal |last1=Bonner |first1=Rayomd |last2=Habibi |first2=Muhib |title=The Case Against Sgt. Bales |journal=Newsweek |volume=160 |issue=19 |date=November 2012 |pages=20–22}}</ref>
Immediately after the massacre, the US Army Criminal Investigation Division went to the scene to attempt to investigate but came under enemy fire; one Afghan soldier was killed in the interaction. When the soldiers finally gained access to the crime scene, families had already removed the bodies and buried them. No photos of the bodies were taken, and DNA evidence was scraped off of the walls of Afghan homes for forensic evidence. A page and a half report was written and officially submitted. The lack of forensic evidence prohibited the confirmation of the accuracy of Afghan allegations against Bales. The DNA evidence gathered from the walls of Afghan homes and from the family members of the deceased was never cross referenced against the US database to verify if any of the three adult males among the sixteen victims were enemy combatants.<ref name=Gurfein2021 />
A senior military official said Bales had been drinking alcohol with two other soldiers on the night of the shootings, in violation of military rules in [[combat|combat zones]].<ref name=snap>{{cite news|title=Accused G.I. 'Snapped' Under Strain, Official Says|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/asia/suspect-in-afghan-attack-snapped-us-official-says.html?hp|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 15, 2012|access-date=March 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316024213/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/asia/suspect-in-afghan-attack-snapped-us-official-says.html?hp|archive-date=March 16, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> According to [[United States Secretary of Defense|Defense Secretary]] [[Leon Panetta]], Bales acknowledged the killings and "told individuals what happened" immediately after being captured.<ref name=ididit>{{cite news|title=Afghan Massacre Suspect: 'I Did It'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/afghan-delegation-fire-site-massacre/story?id=15908068#.T2E3o8UltIM|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=March 13, 2012|access-date=March 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314004407/https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/afghan-delegation-fire-site-massacre/story?id=15908068#.T2E3o8UltIM|archive-date=March 14, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> Minutes later, he refused to speak with investigators and asked for an attorney.<ref name=lawyer>{{cite news|title='Barefoot Bandit' lawyer to defend soldier in Afghan murders|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/03/barefoot-bandit-lawyer-to-defend-solider-in-afghan-murders/1#|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=March 15, 2012|access-date=March 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318032557/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/03/barefoot-bandit-lawyer-to-defend-solider-in-afghan-murders/1|archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Afghan Delegation Comes Under Fire at Site of Massacre|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/afghan-delegation-fire-site-massacre/story?id=15908068#.T1-OecUltIM|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=March 13, 2012|access-date=March 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314031904/https://abcnews.go.com/International/afghan-delegation-fire-site-massacre/story?id=15908068#.T1-OecUltIM|archive-date=March 14, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> Browne later said, "I don't know that the government is going to prove much. There's no forensic evidence. There's no confession."<ref name=Clark2012 /><ref>{{cite news|title=Army Sgt. Robert Bales' lawyer questions evidence in Afghanistan killings|url=http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/20/10781517-army-sgt-robert-bales-lawyer-questions-evidence-in-afghanistan-killings|publisher=MSNBC|date=March 20, 2012|access-date=March 22, 2012|url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323220702/http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/20/10781517-army-sgt-robert-bales-lawyer-questions-evidence-in-afghanistan-killings|archive-date=March 23, 2012}}</ref> Browne met with Bales on March 19 and claims that his client remembers "very little" of the event.<ref name=Clark2012 /> At the time of November 5, 2012, Browne refused to give any concrete information on this topic for fear of the Army kicking him off the case for "disclosing still classified information."<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012" /> However, in May 2013, Browne said his client would confess to the massacre in return for avoiding the death penalty.<ref name="associatedpress">{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-exclusive-soldier-admit-afghan-massacre-19282159#.UabHdevuejI|title=AP Exclusive: Soldier to Admit Afghan Massacre|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=May 29, 2013|access-date=May 29, 2013|author=Johnson, Gene|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608054745/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-exclusive-soldier-admit-afghan-massacre-19282159#.UabHdevuejI|archive-date=June 8, 2013|url-status = live}} </ref>
An interview about the investigation with an Army [[intelligence agency|intelligence]] officer stated that crime scene evidence, specifically that of shot patterns, was being looked at to determine the true nature of the crime. The officer stated that, as a sniper, "Bales is trained to wait for his shot and quietly blend back into his surroundings. But, allegedly, he went contrary to his strongest skillset. He burst into the open, fired up close, and stayed at the scene." The officer deemed this "incomprehensible behavior" and stated that the investigation was ruling out nothing as possible influences in Bales' motivation.<ref name=Clark2012 />
In alternative theories to the massacre, villagers said that the crime was committed by more than one soldier.<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012" /> A woman by the name of Bibi Massoma claims that two Americans entered the room - one shot her husband while the other shot her six-month-old baby.<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012" /> Villagers in the area are also confused as to how a lone sniper was responsible for the killings in both the Balandi and Alkozai villages, since they were a 30-minute walk apart, in addition to having to sneak off base, past Special Forces troops, patrols and military surveillance measures.<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012" />
===Detention=== After his arrest, Bales was transferred out of Afghanistan, stopping at a U.S. [[military base]] in [[Kuwait]]. His stop in Kuwait upset the [[Kuwaiti government]], as they had heard about the Bales case from news reports before being informed by the [[U.S. government]]. According to an unnamed official: "When they learned about it, the Kuwaitis blew a gasket and wanted him out of there."<ref name=snap />
On March 16, 2012, Bales was flown from Kuwait to the [[Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility]] in [[Fort Leavenworth]], [[Kansas]]. According to U.S. Army Colonel James Hutton, Chief of Media Relations, Bales was being held in special housing in his own cell, and was able to go outside the cell "for hygiene and recreational purposes".<ref name=defense>{{cite news|title=Army Identifies Afghanistan Shooting Suspect|url=http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67591|publisher=[[United States Department of Defense]]|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 18, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120414034640/http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=67591|archive-date=April 14, 2012|url-status = dead}} </ref>
On March 19, 2012, Bales met with Browne at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, prison.<ref name=Clark2012 />
On March 23, 2012, the U.S. government [[criminal charge|charged]] Bales with seventeen counts of murder, six counts of attempted murder, and six counts of assault.<ref name="charged">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/22/robert-bales-17-counts-murder-afghanistan | title=Robert Bales to be charged with 17 counts of murder | newspaper=The Guardian | date=March 22, 2012 }}</ref>
On June 1, 2012, the government dropped one of the murder charges, because one victim had been double counted.<ref name=dropped>{{cite news |title=Army drops one charge against soldier accused in Afghan massacre|work=Reuters|date=June 1, 2012 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-afghanistan-idUSBRE8501D520120601|access-date=June 26, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120606162320/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/01/us-usa-crime-afghanistan-idUSBRE8501D520120601 |archive-date=June 6, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> Simultaneously, other charges were filed, including abuse of [[Anabolic steroid|steroids]], alcohol consumption, and attempting to destroy evidence.<ref>Ashton, Adam, "Steroid Charges Against Bales Could Alter His Defense Strategy", ''[[Tacoma News Tribune]]'', June 2, 2012.</ref> Assault charges were increased from six to seven.<ref name=dropped />
In October 2012, Bales was transferred to [[Northwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility]] at [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord]].<ref name="seattletimes" /><ref name="mcclatchy">{{cite web|url=http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/10/16/171610/staff-sgt-robert-bales-awaits.html|title=Staff Sgt. Robert Bales awaits hearing on Afghan killings at Joint Base Lewis-McChord|work=McClatchy|date=October 16, 2012|access-date=April 29, 2013|author=Ashton, Adam}}</ref>
===Legal proceedings=== Browne defended Bales with assigned [[military law]]yers.<ref name=lawyer /><ref name=ourboy /> Browne described Bales as "mild-mannered", claiming his client was upset after seeing a friend's leg blown off the day before the killings, but held no animosity toward Muslims.<ref name=Aljazeera>{{cite news|title=US army names Afghan killings suspect|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/03/201231622475184135.html|publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]]|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318004821/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/03/201231622475184135.html|archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> "I think the message for the public in general is that he's one of our boys and they need to treat him fairly."<ref name=snap /><ref name=ourboy>{{cite news|title=Afghan massacre US soldier 'reluctant to serve' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17395066|publisher=BBC|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=March 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316090659/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17395066|archive-date=March 16, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> Browne denied the deadly rampage was caused by [[alcohol intoxication]] or marital problems and said Bales was "reluctant to serve."<ref name=ourboy /> According to Browne, Bales did not want to return to the front lines. Browne said, "He wasn't thrilled about going on another deployment ... he was told he wasn't going back, and then he was told he was going."<ref>{{cite news |last=Willis |first=Amy |title=US soldier accused of Afghan massacre did not want to return to frontline |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9147534/US-soldier-accused-of-Afghan-massacre-did-not-want-to-return-to-frontline.html|date=March 16, 2012|access-date=March 16, 2012|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316150312/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9147534/US-soldier-accused-of-Afghan-massacre-did-not-want-to-return-to-frontline.html|archive-date=March 16, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> Browne also criticized anonymous reports from government officials, stating "the government is going to want to blame this on an individual rather than blame it on the war."<ref name=snap />
Bales had no documented history of [[mental disorder]]s, and had undergone an extensive mental health screening to become a sniper in 2008.<ref name="MSNBC" /><ref name=problems>{{cite news |title=Soldier Held in Afghan Massacre Had Brain Injury, Marital Problems |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/soldier-held-afghan-civilian-massacre-brain-injury-marital/story?id=15900289|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=March 12, 2012|access-date=March 14, 2012}}</ref><ref name=Kansas>{{cite news|title=Soldier accused in Afghan killings on his way to Kansas base|url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/16/world/asia/afghanistan-shooting-soldier/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|publisher=CNN Wire Staff |access-date=March 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316145918/http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/16/world/asia/afghanistan-shooting-soldier/index.html?hpt=hp_t1|archive-date=March 16, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> In 2010, he suffered a [[concussion]] in a [[Humvee]] accident, underwent [[traumatic brain injury]] treatment at Fort Lewis, and was deemed healthy. Although Bales was never diagnosed with a mental disorder, Fort Lewis-McChord has had a history of [[psychiatric]] [[misdiagnosis]] and may have sent soldiers with PTSD back into combat.<ref name=Clark2012 /> Investigators examining his medical history described his ten-year U.S. Army tenure as "unremarkable" and found no evidence of serious traumatic brain injury or [[post-traumatic stress]].<ref name="MSNBC" /><ref name=lawyer /><ref name=problems /> A high-ranking U.S. official told ''The New York Times'', "When it all comes out, it will be a combination of stress, alcohol and domestic issues—he just snapped."<ref name=snap /> However, Bales had been taking an anti-malaria medication ([[mefloquine]]) now known to cause a wide range of [[side effect]]s, to include aggression, [[paranoia]], [[psychosis]], [[hallucination]]s, and [[suicidal thinking]].<ref name=Gurfein2021 /> The Army, as well as the [[prosecution]], deny providing the drug to Bales, although a fellow soldier testified that he had witnessed the distribution.<ref name=Gurfein2021 /> It was also found that Bales had started taking [[stanozolol]] three weeks before the massacre.<ref name=gq.com />
Then-[[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] [[Leon Panetta]] announced that the United States would seek the death penalty, and [[President of the United States|President]] [[Barack Obama]] instructed the military to "prosecute" the case aggressively.<ref name="Bonner & Habibi 2012" />
As part of the [[legal proceeding]]s, an [[Article 32 hearing]] was held November 5–13, 2012, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.<ref>Bonner, Raymond, "Did Accused Kandahar Killer Sgt. Bales Act Alone?", ''[[Newsweek]]'', November 5, 2012.</ref> The hearing included the testimony of eyewitnesses from Afghanistan via a live video link; Bales did not testify.<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnson|first=Kirk|title=Army Seeks Death Penalty in Afghan Massacre |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/us/army-seeks-death-penalty-for-robert-bales-in-massacre.html|newspaper=The New York Times |date=November 13, 2012|access-date=February 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160530162005/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/us/army-seeks-death-penalty-for-robert-bales-in-massacre.html |archive-date=May 30, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=admit />
On May 29, 2013, it was announced Bales would plead guilty (thereby avoiding a possible death sentence) and describe the events of March 11, 2012.<ref name=admit>{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-exclusive-soldier-admit-afghan-massacre-19282159|title=AP Exclusive: Soldier to Admit Afghan Massacre|publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=May 29, 2013|access-date=May 29, 2013|author=Johnson, Gene|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608054745/https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ap-exclusive-soldier-admit-afghan-massacre-19282159|archive-date=June 8, 2013|url-status = dead}}</ref> On June 5, Bales pleaded guilty in a [[Plea bargaining in the United States|plea deal]] to 16 counts of murder and six counts of assault and attempted murder. When asked by Judge Col. Jeffery Nance "What was your reason for killing them?", he said he had asked himself that question "a million times" and added, "There's not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things I did." He maintained he did not recall setting bodies on fire, but admitted the evidence was clear that he had. He said he had taken the steroids solely to be "huge and jacked" and blamed them for "definitely" [[anabolic steroids#Neuropsychiatric|increasing his irritability and anger]].<ref name=guilty>{{cite news|title=Guilty Plea By Sergeant In Killing Of Civilians|author=Kirk Johnson|date=June 5, 2013|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/us/sergeant-robert-bales-testimony.html|access-date=June 5, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606083403/http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/us/sergeant-robert-bales-testimony.html|archive-date=June 6, 2013 |url-status = live}}</ref>
At the sentencing hearing, defense attorneys argued for a [[sentence of life]] with the possibility of parole, arguing that he was a troubled man who snapped, not a "cold-blooded murderer". Bales took to the stand to issue an apology to his victims. Lt. Col Jay Morse, a member of the US Army Trial Counsel Assistance Program, was the lead prosecutor in the Bales case.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.asil.org/event/military-justice-international-criminal-accountability-and-cross-cultural-contexts-us-v-bales | title=Military Justice, International Criminal Accountability and Cross-Cultural Contexts: US v. Bales | publisher=American Society of International Law | access-date=October 29, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113002204/http://www.asil.org/event/military-justice-international-criminal-accountability-and-cross-cultural-contexts-us-v-bales | archive-date=November 13, 2013 |url-status = live}}</ref> The prosecution, seeking life without the possibility of parole, closed their arguments with: "In just a few short hours, Sgt. Bales wiped out generations. Sgt. Bales dares to ask you for mercy when he has shown none."<ref name=PostGaz>{{cite news|title=Afghan villagers unsatisfied by life sentence for Bales|date=August 23, 2013|agency=Associated Press|work=Pittsburgh Post Gazette |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/afghan-villagers-unsatisfied-by-life-sentence-for-bales-700581/|access-date=August 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824054338/http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/news/us/afghan-villagers-unsatisfied-by-life-sentence-for-bales-700581/|archive-date=August 24, 2013|url-status = live}}</ref>
On August 23, 2013, a six-person panel sentenced Bales to life in prison without parole.<ref name=GetsLife /><ref>{{cite news|title=Staff Sgt. Robert Bales sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole for Afghanistan massacre that left 16 dead |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/army-staff-sgt-robert-bales-life-chance-parole-article-1.1435117|access-date=August 24, 2013 |newspaper=NY Daily News|agency=Associated Press|date=August 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826025142/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/army-staff-sgt-robert-bales-life-chance-parole-article-1.1435117|archive-date=August 26, 2013|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Ashton|first=Adam|title=Staff Sgt. Bales Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering 16 Afghan Cilvilians|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec13/bales_08-23.html|access-date=August 24, 2013|newspaper=The News Tribune via PBS Newshour|date=August 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824013443/http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/military/july-dec13/bales_08-23.html|archive-date=August 24, 2013 |url-status = dead}}</ref> He was also [[demote]]d to the lowest enlisted rank, [[dishonorably discharge]]d, and forfeited all pay and allowances.<ref name="seattletimes" /> A commanding general overseeing the [[court-martial]] has the option of reducing the sentence to life with the possibility of parole.<ref name="APUSAToday20130823">{{cite news|title=Afghan villagers angered by Bales life sentence |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/23/villagers-unsatisfied-bales-sentence/2694043/|access-date=August 24, 2013 |agency=Associated Press |newspaper=USA Today |date=August 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824013202/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/23/villagers-unsatisfied-bales-sentence/2694043/ |archive-date=August 24, 2013|url-status = live}}</ref> Afghan villagers and the families of Bales' victims were upset by the decision, saying he deserved death.<ref name=PostGaz /><ref name="APUSAToday20130823" /> Bales is incarcerated in the maximum security section of the [[United States Disciplinary Barracks]] at Fort Leavenworth.<ref name="seattletimes">{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019610961_apusafghanistanmassacre4thldwritethru.html |title=Prosecutor: US soldier had blood of victims on him|work=The Seattle Times|date=November 5, 2012|access-date=April 29, 2013|author=Johnson, Gene}}</ref> In September 2017, the U.S. Army Criminal Appeals Court upheld Bales' conviction and sentencing. The three-judge panel called the allegation of the use of mefloquine by the defense "speculative."<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=September 28, 2017|title=Court: Conviction, life sentence stands for former Army Sgt. Robert Bales|newspaper=The Seattle Times|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/court-conviction-life-sentence-stands-for-former-army-sgt-robert-bales/|access-date=}}</ref> The US Supreme Court later refused to hear Bales' appeal. In December 2020, the defense of Bales requested a [[Federal pardons in the United States|pardon]] from President [[Donald Trump]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sisk|first=Richard|date=December 4, 2020|title=Robert Bales Among 8 Former Troops, Contractors Petitioning Trump for Pardons|url=https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/12/04/robert-bales-among-8-former-troops-contractors-petitioning-trump-pardons.html|access-date=December 24, 2020|website=Military.com|language=en}}</ref> Trump did not pardon Bales.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=January 21, 2021|title=Not pardoning JBLM war criminal Robert Bales was right decision by Trump|url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article248676890.html|access-date=|work=The News Tribune}}</ref>
===Content=== During several months of interviews while incarcerated, Bales revealed in depth his recollection of his actions the night of the murders, and why he believed he acted the way he did, to reporter Brendan Vaughan in an article published in ''[[GQ Magazine|GQ]]'' magazine on October 21, 2015.<ref name="gq.com">{{cite news|last1=Vaughan|first1=Brendan|title=Robert Bales Speaks: Confessions of America's Most Notorious War Criminal |url=https://www.gq.com/story/robert-bales-interview-afghanistan-massacre|access-date=October 28, 2017|date=October 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028094319/https://www.gq.com/story/robert-bales-interview-afghanistan-massacre|archive-date=October 28, 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 2023, a podcast series titled ''The War Within: The Robert Bales Story<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-war-within-the-robert-117863007/ | title=The War within: The Robert Bales Story }}</ref>'' covered the story of the Kandahar Massacre, and featured audio recordings of extensive interviews with Bales, as well as commentary from soldiers, lawyers, medical experts, and Afghan civilians who were involved with the case in various capacities.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/6uQBcYuZ7uNTHb1i6SarZ1?si=386531eb22664b46 | title=Spotify | website=[[Spotify]] }}</ref>
==Personal life== Bales is married and has two children.<ref name=blog />
After the massacre, his family was moved from their home in [[Lake Tapps (Washington)|Lake Tapps, Washington]], for their protection.<ref name=snap /><ref name=ourboy /><ref name=blog>{{cite news|title=Sergeant's Wife Kept a Blog on the Travails of Army Life|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/us/wife-of-accused-soldier-kept-blog-on-travails-of-army-life.html|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318033104/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/us/wife-of-accused-soldier-kept-blog-on-travails-of-army-life.html |archive-date=March 18, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>
The Bales family was struggling financially and had put its home up for sale three days before the shootings.<ref name=mortgage>{{cite news|title=Sgt Robert Bales: The story of the soldier accused of murdering 16 Afghan villagers|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9150641/Sgt-Robert-Bales-The-story-of-the-soldier-accused-of-murdering-16-Afghan-villagers.html|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319013339/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9150641/Sgt-Robert-Bales-The-story-of-the-soldier-accused-of-murdering-16-Afghan-villagers.html|archive-date=March 19, 2012|url-status = live}}</ref> The property was listed for $229,000, approximately $50,000 less than what they had paid for it in 2005, and was [[Negative equity|worth $100,000 less]] than what they owed the bank.<ref name=mortgage /><ref name="gq.com"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bales, Robert}} [[Category:1973 births]] [[Category:21st-century American murderers]] [[Category:American male criminals]] [[Category:American mass murderers]] [[Category:American fraudsters]] [[Category:American murderers of children]] [[Category:American people convicted of murder]] [[Category:American people convicted of war crimes]] [[Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]] [[Category:American stockbrokers]] [[Category:Criminals from Ohio]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Military personnel from Ohio]] [[Category:Mount St. Joseph University alumni]] [[Category:Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences alumni]] [[Category:People convicted of murder by the United States military]] [[Category:People from Norwood, Ohio]] [[Category:People from Pierce County, Washington]] [[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the United States military]] [[Category:United States Army non-commissioned officers]] [[Category:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War]] [[Category:United States Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)]] [[Category:United States Army personnel who were court-martialed]] [[Category:Inmates of United States Disciplinary Barracks]]