New venue sought in Fort Bragg case

[flashl]

News Observer

FAYETTEVILLE - Defense lawyers want to move the trial of an Army soldier accused of killing one person and wounding 18 by firing on troops during early morning exercises at Fort Bragg in 1995.

The Fayetteville Observer reported that Capt. Joseph Venghaus, a lawyer representing Sgt. William J. Kreutzer, told a hearing Tuesday that trying Kreutzer at Fort Bragg would be like trying the Virginia Tech shooter -- had he not committed suicide -- by a jury of people from Virginia Tech, with lawyers who went there.

Kreutzer was convicted in 1996 of one count of premeditated murder and 18 counts of attempted murder, and was sentenced to death.

An Army appellate court overturned his conviction on the murder charge because an appellate court judge ruled Kreutzer's original defense lawyers were ineffective.