Summary

AN ARMY SOLDIER AT FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO LESSER CHARGES IN THE BEATING DEATH OF A BARRACKS MATE RUMORED TO BE GAY.

Source CONUS Archive
Record ID 177026
Story Slug Ft. - Campbell - Murder - Case
Location Fort Campbell, Kentucky
Format PKG
Date 01/08/2000
Archive Time 18:41
TRT 1:40
Supers STATIONS...PLEASE NOTE, THE REPORTER INCORRECTLY CALLS THE MOTHER "PAM" IN THE TRACK. Fort Campbell, Kentucky Pat Kutteles, Winchell's Mother Wally Kutteles, Winchell's Father Dwann Holmes, Reporting
Video Description SOTS WITH COUPLE; PICTURE OF VICTIM; WOMAN LEAVING COURT IN TEARS; OFFICER COVERING FACE WITH FILE FOLDER; SHOTS OF EMPTY COURTROOM; SHOTS OF CONVICTED SOLDIER HIDING FACE; MAN WALKING OUT OF INTERVIEW.
Description AN ARMY SOLDIER AT FORT CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO LESSER CHARGES IN THE BEATING DEATH OF A BARRACKS MATE RUMORED TO BE GAY.
Script LEAD: A SECOND SOLDIER HAS BEEN CONVICTED IN THE BEATING DEATH OF FORT CAMPBELL SOLDIER BARRY WINCHELL. TODAY WINCHELL'S FORMER ROOMMATE JUSTIN FISHER PLEAD GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. REPORTER DWANN HOLMES EXPLAINS WHY WINCHELL'S PARENTS ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE DEAL FISHER GOT. (TAKE PKG) SCRIPT: SOT/Pat Kutteles: "justice was not served today." PAT AND WALLY KUTTELES SAY SOLDIER JUSTIN FISHER PLAYED A HUGE PART IN THE BRUTAL BEATING DEATH OF THEIR SON PRIVATE FIRST CLASS BARRY WINCHELL. THAT'S WHY THE OUTCOME OF FISHER'S COURT MARSHAL HEARING HURT SO MUCH. A MILITARY JUDGE SENTENCED HIM TO 14 YEARS...BUT BECAUSE OF A PLEA AGREEMENT HE WON'T BE SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 12 AND A HALF. SOT/Pat Kutteles: "one day the army believed that the evidence against fisher was so strong that it ordered him to stand trial....some where along the way, they let him plead to nothing related to the actual murder. something is wrong here." FISHER PLED GUILTY TO OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE...THEN THE OTHER CHARGES OF PARTICIPATING IN THE MURDER AND AIDING WERE DISMISSED WITH PREJUDICE. SOT/No Super: "i think today's decision was a travesty." FISHER WALKED INTO HIS HEARING COVERING HIS FACE IN SHAME. BY THE END HE APOLOGIZED TO BARRY WINCHELL FIRST, THEN WINCHELL'S PARENTS, THE ARMY AND FELLOW SOLDIERS. THEN IN A SHOCKER, FISHER ADMITTED BEING THE PERSON WHO TOOK WINCHELL TO THE HOMOSEXUAL CLUB, "THE CONNECTION." RUMORS OF THAT OUTING SEEMED TO EGG ON THE HARASSMENT. SOT/Pat Kutteles: "as parents we're concerned that someone else's child is going to be hurt. we don't want another family to have to endure what we are going through now. we are going to make sure that no other soldier is murdered because of hatred and prejudice." SOT/Wally Kutteles: "and this finger pointing, your gay, what does that do? and everybody goes along with it? that's wrong." SATLATE
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