Fellow American,
Over the past few months, I have told you the story of Army First Lieutenant Clint Lorance. This soldier is currently serving a 19-year sentence in Leavenworth for a shooting in Afghanistan that left two civilians dead.
Let’s take a step back for a second… It all started when Lt. Lorance was leading his platoon on a patrol in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Kandahar has been one of the most dangerous regions in Afghanistan for our soldiers. The platoon was walking down the street and all of a sudden three motorcyclists began barreling towards the soldiers.
Lorance ordered his men to open fire, ultimately killing two of the motorcyclists. After searching the bodies, no weapons of any kind were found. That led to a court-martial and 1st Lt. Lorance was ultimately sentenced to twenty years in prison for killing “unarmed” men.
But now, there is new evidence that proves the motorcyclists did have terrorist ties, calling into question whether there actually was a plot to harm these soldiers…
What is even worse is it seems that the government knew this all along and deliberately withheld this evidence during Lorance’s trial.
Now, the family is pushing for clemency for their son, asking anyone and everyone to do what they can to secure his release from prison!
Raise your voice! Help this Army Officer get the clemency he deserves!
On January 5th, Maj. Gen. Richard Clarke finished his review of Lt. Lorance’s case and, shockingly, upheld his sentence. Well, actually, he reduced his sentence by one year, but not because he thought Lorance was innocent. His sentence was slightly reduced because of post-trial delays.
During Lorance’s court-martial, a lot was made of the fact that no weapons were discovered on the bodies of the two men that were killed.
But what about the third motorcyclist who fled on foot? Given the evidence we have now – that the motorcyclists had ties to known terrorists – how could anyone possibly say that these three men were completely innocent? How do we know that the third perpetrator wasn’t the one carrying a gun or bomb?
There’s no way of knowing that.
But there is one thing that is certain. First Lieutenant Clint Lorance shouldn’t have to spend 19 years in prison because he tried to protect his men from a legitimate threat. He shouldn't be behind bars for simply doing his job.
Lorance was only in control of this platoon for three days before the shooting. He took over because the platoon’s previous officer was injured. When he took that leadership position, he made a promise to his men that he would do everything in his power to get them home safe. So when he saw these motorcyclists barreling down on the platoon, he made the split second decision to engage them.
I will never know what it is like to operate in a war zone and be charged with protecting a platoon of men. But I do know that if Lorance’s lawyer is correct and if the government is complicit in deliberately withholding vital evidence, then this injustice MUST be righted!
Lorance’s family tried to go through the official channels, yet the Army completely disregarded this new evidence and upheld Lt. Lorance’s conviction. Now it is time for We the People to get involved!
Force Congress to intervene and get Lieutenant Clint Lorance clemency!
As we have said in the past, the lieutenant’s lawyer contends that new biometric evidence proves that the three motorcyclists were in fact tied to known terrorist organizations.
What is even worse is the accusation that the government knew this and covered it up. They knew that the motorcyclists had ties to regional bombmakers but instead of presenting this evidence at trial, they perpetuated the narrative that these were "innocent" civilians. That is simply shameful.
No one is denying that Lieutenant Lorance ordered his men to open fire on the oncoming motorcycle. But protecting his men shouldn’t be a crime, especially not one that carries a 19-year sentence in Leavenworth.
And the evidence now suggests that these men did in fact have violent intentions.
Lt. Clint Lorance shouldn’t be serving a 19-year sentence for trying to protect his men. And he certainly shouldn’t stay behind bars if the government deliberately withheld evidence proving the motorcyclists’ connections to terrorism!
Do you want to know what is just ridiculous? Lieutenant Lorance is being held in the same prison as Nidal Hassan, the Fort Hood shooter. Think about that for a second… How is that justice?
Listen… we’ve tried going through the legal channels. The Army refuses to see the truth and a petition to Obama has gone unanswered. It is time to get Congress involved.
I personally believe that Lorance should be freed. He was just trying to protect his men. When we asked this man to go overseas to fight for this country and our freedoms, he answered the call. It is time for us to return the favor. I beg you to take the time to send this message to Congress and demand that they intervene and help free Lieutenant Lorance!
Sincerely,
Joe Otto
Conservative Daily
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