Michael Chase Behenna was born on May 18,1983 and is a former United States Army First Lieutenant who was convicted of the 2008 murder of Ali Mansur Mohamed during the occupation of Iraq.
25 Facts About Michael Behenna
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Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, which was later reduced to 15 years, and served his sentence in the United States Disciplinary Barracks on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas.
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Michael Behenna was granted parole on March 14,2014, after serving less than five years of his sentence.
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On May 6,2019, Michael Behenna received a pardon from President Donald Trump.
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Michael Behenna was born on May 18,1983, to Scott Behenna, an FBI intelligence analyst and retired Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation special agent, and Vicki Behenna, a federal prosecutor who had worked on the Oklahoma City bombing case.
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Michael Behenna attended Will Rogers Elementary School where he met his future girlfriend, Shannon Wall.
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Michael Behenna graduated from Edmond North High School in 2002 and, after witnessing the September 11th attacks, expressed interest in enlisting in the US Army, wanting to "fight terrorists" and "work his way up from the bottom".
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Michael Behenna's parents persuaded him to instead go to college and enroll in an Army ROTC program.
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Michael Behenna chose University of Central Oklahoma and graduated in 2006, with a degree in General Studies minoring in history and military science.
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Michael Behenna was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation from college.
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Michael Behenna attended Infantry Officer Training and was then selected to attend the US Army's Ranger School.
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Michael Behenna was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division as the platoon leader for 5th Platoon, Delta Company of the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment and deployed to Iraq in 2007.
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Michael Behenna made efforts to develop ties with local Iraqis as part of his counter-insurgency mission and, already fluent in Spanish, began to teach himself Arabic.
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Michael Behenna was known to host cookouts with his platoon for local interpreters, engage with civilians on the street and encouraged his soldiers to learn about Iraqi culture and to eat their food.
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Michael Behenna was the type of guy that liked Iraqis.
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Michael Behenna's platoon was tasked with the return of Mansur to town as soon as possible.
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Lieutenant Michael Behenna started talking with Ali Mansur and Sergeant Warner followed them.
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Ali Mansur said I will talk to you but Lieutenant Michael Behenna pulled trigger and killed him Before we started the patrol, Lieutenant Michael Behenna told to Ali Mansur 'I will kill you'.
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Michael Behenna took the grenade from his pocket, pulled the safety ring, walked around and put the grenade under Ali Mansur's head.
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Sergeant Milton Sanchez said Michael Behenna "did not think that we should release him".
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On July 31,2008, Michael Behenna was relieved of his command and charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur Mohamed.
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In November 2008, Michael Behenna was returned to Fort Campbell and assigned to security duties pending a court-martial.
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The defense contended that Michael Behenna was under an acute stress disorder as a result of the attacks on his platoon and that during the shooting he had acted in self-defense after Mansur lunged at him.
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On February 12,2014, another request for clemency was denied, but Michael Behenna was granted parole and released on March 14,2014, after serving less than five years of his sentence.
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On May 6,2019, Michael Behenna was granted a full pardon by US President Donald Trump.