Case 78
The Janabi Family
During the Iraq War, four members of the Janabi Family were found brutally massacred in their farmhouse in the rural village of Yusufiyah. 14-year-old Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi had been violently raped and the family’s home had been set on fire.
The crime initially appeared to be the work of Sunni insurgents but the reality that soon came to light was much darker.
[FOLLOW UP]
In late 2019, Casefile spoke with a special guest related to one of our most controversial episodes. The interview was initially intended for our companion podcast, From the Files, but as we’ve since put that show on hiatus, we’ve decided to air it as a bonus, one-off release due to its importance.
CREDITS
EPISODE:
Research & writing – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC:
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER:
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
RESOURCES
BOOKS:
Black Hearts: One Platoon’s Descent Into Madness in Iraq’s Triangle of Death – Jim Frederick
VIDEO:
Ultimatum to Saddam Hussein – George W. Bush
Iraqis Outraged at U.S Soldier’s Life Sentence – Al Jazeera
COURT DOCUMENTS:
U.S v. Steven D. Green – Affidavit in Support of an Arrest Warrant
Transcript of Testimony of Paul Cortez
Transcript of Testimony of Jesse Spielman
Transcript of Testimony of Mohammed al-Janabi
Transcript of Testimony of Mahdi al-Janabi
JUSTIN WATT INTERVIEWS:
Stand Strong: Serving Honorably in Combat
Stand Strong: The Effects of Combat on the Army Professional
OTHER DOCUMENTS:
Letter of Apology – Steven Green
ARTICLES:
David Babineau – Arlington National Cemetery
Relatives describe young men determined to serve country – New York Times
Family, friends remember soldiers tortured, killed in Iraq – Fox News
Two dead soldiers, eight more to go, vow avengers of Iraqi girl’s rape – Telegraph
“I came over here because I wanted to kill people” – Washington Post
Experience: I was a whistleblower – The Guardian
Soldier describes anguish in revealing murder allegations – USA Today
Details emerge in alleged army rape, killings – Washington Post
A soldiers shame – Time
Accused G.I was troubled long before Iraq – New York Times
Soldier: ‘Death walk’ drives troops ‘nuts’ – CNN International
Ex-soldier pleads not guilty to rape, murder – CNN International
Iraq rape soldier given life sentence – The Guardian
Ex-Soldier gets life sentence for Iraq murders – New York Times
‘I didn’t think of Iraqis as humans,’ says U.S soldier who raped 14-year-old girl before killing her and her family – Daily Mail