Militia Trial Mayhem
By: Ray Doughty
Updated: September 3, 2012
Grief and anger spilled over Thursday as three soldiers appeared in court in connection with the double murder of a former comrade and his 17-year-old girlfriend.
Prosecutors say the group planned to take over Fort Stewart, assassinate President Obama, poison the Washington state apple crop and eventually topple the U.S. government.
As the hearing got underway a family member lunged at one of the soldiers.
The day began with each solider appearing before the judge.
The first, 21-year-old Isaac Aguigui, is considered to be the ringleader of a militia group that committed murder because they thought former soldier Michael Roark was going to betray them.
The second soldier to appear, Christopher Salmon, was reportedly the one who shot Michael Roark.
Michael's father Brett was visibly shaken as the death penalty charges were read against salmon.
It was the appearance of Sgt. Anthony Peden that produced the drama.
Peden, who has received more than a dozen medals and who went to Afghanistan twice, is accused of shooting young Tiffany York twice in the head.
Tiffany's stepfather Wesley Thomas lunged toward Peden, only to be stopped by law enforcement.
Nicholas York, Tiffany's brother, said his stepdad couldn't take it anymore.
"Well he just has a lot of anger built up because he's seen what it's done to a a family, how much stress it put us through, it just tore us all apart. We miss Tiffany tremendously, you'd never think she'd get tied up with these type of guys," York said.
When it came to the reported motive for the killings york's brother still can't grasp it.
"I think they're crazy. I don't understand an E5 and a sergeant could listen to a private, and how many ways it could have been prevented, and how it led up to this," Nicholas York said.
Prosecutors say the group planned to take over Fort Stewart, assassinate President Obama, poison the Washington state apple crop and eventually topple the U.S. government.
As the hearing got underway a family member lunged at one of the soldiers.
The day began with each solider appearing before the judge.
The first, 21-year-old Isaac Aguigui, is considered to be the ringleader of a militia group that committed murder because they thought former soldier Michael Roark was going to betray them.
The second soldier to appear, Christopher Salmon, was reportedly the one who shot Michael Roark.
Michael's father Brett was visibly shaken as the death penalty charges were read against salmon.
It was the appearance of Sgt. Anthony Peden that produced the drama.
Peden, who has received more than a dozen medals and who went to Afghanistan twice, is accused of shooting young Tiffany York twice in the head.
Tiffany's stepfather Wesley Thomas lunged toward Peden, only to be stopped by law enforcement.
Nicholas York, Tiffany's brother, said his stepdad couldn't take it anymore.
"Well he just has a lot of anger built up because he's seen what it's done to a a family, how much stress it put us through, it just tore us all apart. We miss Tiffany tremendously, you'd never think she'd get tied up with these type of guys," York said.
When it came to the reported motive for the killings york's brother still can't grasp it.
"I think they're crazy. I don't understand an E5 and a sergeant could listen to a private, and how many ways it could have been prevented, and how it led up to this," Nicholas York said.
