Investigator: Soldier's first call when teen died was to drug dealer
On Tuesday officials began Private Timothy Bennitt's Article 32 hearing - the military version of a grand jury - to determine if there's enough evidence to take the soldier to a general court martial.
Bennitt is accused of bringing 16-year-old Leah King to his barracks on Feb. 14 and giving her what turned out to be a lethal dose of prescription drugs. Officials are trying to determine if Bennitt is to blame for what happened, or if King brought trouble upon herself.
A criminal investigator testified that Bennitt had a history of supplying other soldiers with drugs and purchased the lethal cocktail the girl ingested.
Special Agent Adam Armstrong testified that when Bennitt awoke in his barracks room the morning of Feb. 15 to discover King dead, his first call was to the home of his drug dealer.
The lead Army investigator said Bennitt admits to obtaining drugs, but said Bennitt claims he didn't personally give the 16 year old the prescription drugs that eventually led to her death.
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But the army claims Bennitt is responsible due to negligence. Army officials said he got the drugs from King's neighbor, brought her to his barracks, providing her a place where she could take the drugs even though he knew she had taken drugs earlier in the day.
On Feb. 15, medics found two teens, both 16, unresponsive in the barracks around 3:30 a.m. King was pronounced dead at the scene, and the other was rushed to Madigan Army Medical Center. The surviving teen was treated and discharged a few days later. She has not been identified.
Investigators said Bennitt, of Rolling Prairie, Ind., had been dating King, a high school sophomore from Lakewood, for about a month.
They said he provided King with the prescription pain killer Opana and anti-depressant Xanax. The pills were crushed, mixed together, and snorted with a dollar bill, investigators said.
King's death exposed a darker side to military life involving drug use and the company of young girls in the barracks.
Since King's death, Fort Lewis has made changes to how it allows minors on post. Now, all minors must sign in at the Fort Lewis Visitor's Center, and could be denied access if staff members determine they have no legitimate reason for being at Fort Lewis. Security personnel have also increased random checks of vehicles entering the post.
The investigating officer will make a recommendation to the post commanding general on whether to proceed to a general court martial.
Bennitt also faces charges of wrongful use and distribution of controlled substances and conspiracy to use controlled substances.
If convicted on all counts, Bennitt would be dishonorably discharged and could be sentenced to up to 82 years in a military prison.
Bennitt is a heavy construction equipment operator who entered the military in June 2007. He deployed to Afghanistan from December 2007 through mid-May 2008.