Marine Raider Found Guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of Green Beret

A Marine Raider was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, obstruction, conspiracy and charges of hazing in the 2017 homicide of an Army Green Beret in Mali.

A military jury found Gunnery Sgt. Mario Madera-Rodriguez guilty late Thursday after a three-week trial of the charges related to the death of Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar in Bamako, Mali in a house shared by U.S. special operators.

The jury did not find Madera-Rodriguez guilty of murder or burglary, but did find him guilty of the lesser charge of housebreaking.

On June 4, 2017, Madera-Rodriguez, fellow Raider Kevin Maxwell and SEALs Anthony DeDolph and Adam Matthews broke into Melgar’s room in an attempt to humiliate the Green Beret after a perceived slight.

The Marines, SEALs, a British citizen and two Malian guards broke into Melgar’s room with a sledgehammer and DeDolph put the solider in a chokehold. After 30 seconds, Melgar did not regain consciousness and the SEALs and Marines attempted to resuscitate him.

Earlier this year, DeDolph was sentenced to 10 years in prison after a plea agreement. Matthews, the other SEAL, was sentenced to a year in prison in 2019. Maxwell, the other Marine Raider, was sentenced to four years.

Madera-Rodriguez’s sentencing will take place next week.