USA/ITALY: JURY OF MARINES CLEARS CAPITAIN RICHARD ASHBY OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DEATHS OF 20 PEOPLE CAUSED BY HIS JET CUTTING GONDOLA CABLES IN ITALIAN SKI RESORT

Record ID: 552930

  • Title: USA/ITALY: JURY OF MARINES CLEARS CAPITAIN RICHARD ASHBY OF RESPONSIBILITY IN THE DEATHS OF 20 PEOPLE CAUSED BY HIS JET CUTTING GONDOLA CABLES IN ITALIAN SKI RESORT
  • Date: 5th March 1999
  • Summary: CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES (MARCH 4, 1999) (REUTERS) ***FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SV MARINE CAPTAIN RICHARD ASHBY LEAVING COURT AFTER BEING EXONERATED MCU SINDY RENKEWITZ, SISTER AND DAUGHTER OF GERMAN VICTIMS, LEAVES COURT AFTER VERDICT SV WEEPING BELGIAN FAMILY LEAVES COURT SV PRESS CONFERENCE PULL IN TO MCU (English) ASHBY SAYING "All I want to say is this has been a tragedy for all involved and my heart and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of this tragedy."
  • Embargoed: 20th March 1999 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA AND BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, UNITED STATES/ MILAN AND ROME, ITALY
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime,Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVA34RNFXA14S44Z94IVCAKHTCFO
  • Story Text: A jury of Marines has exonerated their colleague Captain Richard Ashby of responsibility in the deaths of 20 people caused by his jet cutting gondola cables at an Italian ski resort.Meanwhile, the families of the victims say they have yet to receive any apology from the pilot.
    The family of Marine Captain Richard Ashby let out a cheer when the eight-man jury found him not guilty of recklessly killing 20 people when the jet he was flying cut a ski-lift cable and sent them plunging to earth.
    After a four-week court martial at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, Ashby was cleared of that charge plus disobeying orders on safe flying and destruction of property in the Cermis valley near Cavalese, Italy.
    In a brief statement after the verdict, an obviously relieved Ashby told reporters "This has been a tragedy for all involved and my heart and my thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the victims of this tragedy."
    But families of the victims, visibly shocked and disturbed that the pilot would be held liable for nothing, said that was the first time they had heard him express any remorse at all for the incident -- and it was to the media, not to them.
    "If Mr Ashby really felt sorry," said Rita Wunderlich, a German woman who lost her husband, "and he told you (media) so, why didn't he tell us?"
    Wunderlich tearfully explained her emotions upon hearing the verdict as like her husband's "second funeral".
    The families of the German and Belgian victims have already been shut down in their requests for monetary compensation from the United States government and must now pursue that claim with the Italian government.
    But the Italians were also stunned by the verdict.
    "I am really baffled by this ruling.Of course, we do want to know and we need to explore the reasons behind the ruling and the actual meaning of the ruling," said Prime Minister Massimo D' Alema speaking through an interpreter at the John F.Kennedy Library in Boston.
    In Italy, there has been similar surprise.Lawyer for some of the victims Alberto Mioni said he had felt sure Ashby would be found guilt, and blamed the court system for the result.
    "We had confirmation that the criminal trial in Camp Lejeune isn't a serious and correct trial and we had also a confirmation that it would surely be better and more serious a criminal trial here in Italy," Mioni said.
    In Rome the head of the Italian Parliamentary Commission for Defence Valdo Spini said he thought the families should now persue every possibility of appeal.
    "I do not know the American system but I think we have to explore every possibility to find the truth and to give justice to 20 innocent people." Spini said.
    Ashby still faces potential proceedings on an allegation that he obstructed justice when he removed a videotape from an in-flight recorder and destroyed it and thus, potential evidence against him.
    His navigator on the flight, Captain Joseph Schweitzer, is also scheduled for a court-martial on his role later this month.
    And, as of Thursday evening, the families of the German victims said they didn't know exactly what they were going to do next except to go back to ther Marine-provided accommodations for the night and continue grieving.
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