'It makes no sense': Wife believes husband who 'shot and killed 16 innocent Afghans' is innocent, she's raising defense funds and she insists he's 'a great dad'
The gruesome details of her husband’s alleged rampage against a group of unarmed civilians in Kandahar province, Afghanistan has not stopped Kari Bales from supporting him unconditionally.
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is the sole suspect in the deaths of 16 Afghans after the March 11 mass shooting, and he is also charged with wrongfully possessing and using steroids and unlawfully consuming alcohol while deployed.
Even though he reportedly admitted to the attacks when questioned by military officials following the shootings, his wife maintains that he would never do such a ‘horrible’ thing.
She refuses to even ask about that tragic night for fear that their conversation may be bugged.
Kari recently opened up about how difficult it has been for their family, visiting Robert at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas while he awaits his trial.
She said that her husband of seven years is a mild-mannered, loving father to their two children and she cannot imagine him intentionally harming others like them during his military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
‘He loved the kids over there. One time I sent him a teddy bear and Bob gave it to a little Iraqi girl. She loved it. His belief was that they were reaching the next generation, and that things (between the two countries) could get better,’ she told People magazine.
As for their own children- their five-year-old daughter Quincy and their two-year-old son Bobby- they have only been able to see their father once since he was sent back to the U.S. following the incident.
Since the military moved the Bales family from their home in Seattle to an Army base on the eve of his name being released following the mass shooting, Kari tells the magazine that she has done her best to make life as normal as possible for the children.
While he isn’t there in person, Robert is even trying to help remind his children that he is there for them while he is locked in his cell thousands of miles away.
She said that he signs his letters to them with an outline of his hand so that they can give him an imaginary high-five once they finish reading.
‘(He’s) caring, romantic. This Mother’s Day he sent me chocolate-covered strawberries even though he was in prison. He’s a great dad. He changed poopie diapers. He was my partner,’ she told the magazine.
When they are together, their conversations stick to safe topics like the children and home life, and she admits that she has never asked him about that fateful March evening.
While she maintains an extreme level of spousal devotion, his lawyers are preparing for a brutal legal battle.
‘The military is trying to put my client in front of the firing squad,’ Bales’ lawyer John Henry Browne said.
Though his assessment was an exaggeration, it isn’t extremely far off as Bales does face the death penalty for the alleged crimes.
Mr Browne has been known to handle controversial cases in the past, and two of his most infamous clients were the serial killer Ted Bundy and the teen ‘Barefoot Bandit’ who travelled cross country using stolen planes and cars.
In this case, Mr Browne plans on exploring a defense based around the possibility that Bales was suffering from severe post traumatic stress disorder, which he believes contributed to his decision to kill the unarmed civilians.
Though she says that the military has been very helpful throughout the whole process, the family is still struggling to make ends meet and Kari has set up a website that links to a fund for her husband's defense.
She told journalist Matt Lauer that her husband did not display many of the typical symptoms of the disorder- which include nightmares, and erratic behavior shifts.
As a result, Kari maintains that while she feels heartbroken for the families of the victims, she does not think her husband is responsible for the murders.
Her sister Stephanie Tandberg told People that Kari’s devotion will stay consistent throughout the long legal ordeal.
‘This is an unbelievable situation. But Kari married Bob. Her vows were spoken. And she will follow those vows to the end,’ she said.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...great-dad.html
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