Convicted murderer threatens Bergdahl at trial
Witness: Man in court referenced ‘firing squad’
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — An apparent security lapse enabled a convicted murderer to access Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s sentencing hearing last week, where the individual made threatening remarks about the former soldier, who has pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.
George Marecek, 85, was only a few feet from Bergdahl on Wednesday when he turned to another individual seated in the courtroom gallery and said: “I’ll be glad when this crap is over. I got my firing squad standing by.” Marecek’s comment was overheard by a Washington Post reporter. Bergdahl’s attorneys overheard him make other threatening statements, and a member of the sentencing proceedings alerted authorities.
The Army has refused to answer questions about the incident, which alarmed court officers and triggered a security alert at this sprawling military complex outside of Fayetteville, N.C.
Bergdhal, 31, faces life in prison, having pleaded guilty earlier this month to charges that stem from his 2009 disappearance in Afghanistan. He was captured by the Taliban and held hostage for five years, before his release was secured as part of a controversial prisoner exchange in 2014.
The sentencing hearing began Oct. 23 before a judge, Army Col. Jeffery R. Nance.
Marecek, a retired Army colonel, is a highly decorated Green Beret whose bravery during the Vietnam War earned him a Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star, prestigious valor awards that rank second and third, respectively, behind the Medal of Honor. Decades later, in 2000, he was convicted of seconddegree murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his wife in 1991. Marecek spent three years at a state correctional facility before earning an early release in 2003.
Marecek’s did not respond to a phone message seeking comment.
On Wednesday, he arrived at Fort Bragg wearing an Army combat uniform outfitted with his rank and Special Forces insignia. In the courtroom he clutched a green beret. It was after the day’s proceedings adjourned, and Marecek had departed, that security was alerted.
Bergdahl is escorted to and from the courthouse by at least one armed policeman, with others in the immediate area. But Marecek’s threatening remarks, and his ability to access the base despite his criminal history, raise questions about the Army’s security measures for the high-profile trial.
Those attending the proceedings must pass through metal detectors and face additional scans from military police via handheld metal detector wands. The media’s movement is also tightly controlled.
Marecek, as a military retiree, can access the base and park his car in front of the courthouse, presenting just his ID card. While those visiting Fort Bragg should have their identification cards electronically scanned and run through a criminal records database, a former military police officer at the base said that the ID scanners often don’t function properly, so the gate guards simply check to ensure the ID cards have not expired.
Fort Bragg’s military police unit issued a “be on the lookout” alert, but aren’t actively searching for Marecek. Bergdahl’s case has sparked a bitter debate within the military and throughout the country between those who believe he endangered the lives of fellow service members tasked with finding him and those who feel his years in captivity are sufficient punishment for his offenses.