Originally published January 19, 2010 at 9:25 PM | Page modified January 20, 2010 at 7:25 AM
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Ft. Lewis soldier pleads guilty to drug charges in connection with teen girl's death
As a court martial began Tuesday at Fort Lewis for a soldier blamed in the drug overdose death of a 16-year-old girl, the young man pleaded guilty to drug charges but not guilty to involuntary manslaughter. The charges against Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt stem from the Feb. 15, 2009, death of Leah King.
FORT LEWIS — As a court martial began Tuesday at Fort Lewis for a soldier blamed in the drug overdose death of a 16-year-old girl, the young man pleaded guilty to drug charges but not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
The charges against Pvt. Timothy E. Bennitt stem from the Feb. 15, 2009, death of Leah King. She died in Bennitt's Fort Lewis barracks room after she and a friend overdosed on a combination of drugs. The friend recovered. Bennitt was 19 at the time.
On Tuesday, Bennitt's lawyers entered a guilty plea on his behalf for distribution of oxymorphone, oxycodone, marijuana and Xanax. He also plead guilty to use of oxycodone, oxymorphone, marijuana and cocaine.
Under questioning, The News Tribune says, Bennitt described details of his drug distribution and use after he returned from Afghanistan in 2008 and after he had eye surgery.
Bennitt is originally from Rolling Prairie, Ind.
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