Wife Says Murder Charge Against Soldier 'Unjust'

ALIAMANU MILITARY RESERVATION, Hawaii -- The wife of one of two Hawaii-based soldiers charged with premeditated murder in the shooting of an unarmed Iraqi man said she was stunned by the news.

Sgt. 1st Class Trey Corrales and Christopher Shore from Schofield's 25th Division were on a mission on June 23. Fellow soldiers turned them in, saying they had seen them wrongfully kill an unarmed Iraqi man.

The charge can carry the death penalty.

Lily Corrales is a former soldier.

"I would see these, I would say, as unjust charges. I believe my husband was doing his job," Lily Corrales said.

She lived with the couple's two children in Oahu's Aliamanu Military Reservation.

"I don't think that people would think that he did anything out of rage or spite or anger while he is there. He has befriended all the locals that he has encountered," Lily Corrales said. "He is a good man. He is a good father. He is good husband."

Corrales is a highly decorated 14-year Army veteran. His medals include two Bronze Stars and a coveted Audie Murphy award for combat duty in Afghanistan.

"He's exceeded in any mission he's been given," Lily Corrales said.

She said that in this case, her husband was doing what he was told to do.

The accused soldiers are still in Iraq. They are not incarcerated. They remain with their units.

The next step is a hearing to determine if they should face a court martial.

"We are somewhat worried, but we know in the end that it is going to come out fine for everybody," Lily Corrales said.

Shore's family has since moved back to Georgia, where KITV spoke by telephone with Shore's mother, Debra Kessler.

"We know that he is a good soldier, and we want to stand beside him and support him, and we hope America will too, because our guys are over there fighting for us," Kessler said.

Shore has been in the Army for three years. His mother said he has always wanted to be a soldier.

Shore's family has set up a legal fund to help pay for an attorney.