Corey Clagett

Corey Clagett was born in South Carolina. He grew up in poverty and an unstable home. He finally found some stability when he joined the army. Unfortunately, this experience was short-lived. In 2007, Corey participated in "Operation Iron Triangle" in Samarra, Iraq. His squad took several insurgents prisoner. When their command operations center radioed displeasure with the fact that the insurgents had been captured, and not killed, Corey's Sergeant ordered him and another soldier to free the insurgents and then shoot them as they ran away. Corey followed this order.

Corey would eventually be charged with murder after this incident, and pled guilty. The sergeant who gave the order pled not guilty, was acquitted of murder, had his negligent homicide conviction reversed, and was restored to duty. He would eventually be discharged under honorable conditions. Not so for Corey, who spent the next nine years in prison after a dishonorable discharge. Much of his time was spent in solitary confinement. He was recently released on parole, but still carries with him the stigma and limitations of a murder conviction and dishonorable discharge.

Given his limited culpability in the offense, as well as his traumatic upbringing and extreme conditions of confinement, Corey is both deserving of clemency and in need of help. A pardon, coupled with a change in his discharge status, will help make Corey's release a successful one.