A Camp Pendleton, California, Marine will be facing murder charges in a June 26 court-martial for the stabbing death of a fellow fellow Marine at the School of Infantry, according to the Orange County Register.

Pfc. Raymond W. Begay appeared before a preliminary military hearing, known as an Article 32, in late March, where he faced potentially being charged with murder and obstruction of justice in the January 16 stabbing death of Pfc. Ethan Barclay-Weberpal.

The 20-year-old Begay was formally hit with murder and manslaughter charges last week and will face a general court-martial in June, the Orange County Register reported.

The Article 32 hearing in March was a chance for Preliminary Hearing Officer Maj. Christian Hur to hear arguments from both sides and ultimately recommend the charges and type of court-martial Begay would face.

Those recommendations were then forwarded to convening authority Lt. Col Dennis Hager, the commanding officer of the headquarters battalion at SOI-West.

The defense has argued that the incident was a mere tragic accident, a result of playing around with a knife. But the prosecutor highlighted an alleged track record of Begay threatening to stab other Marines.

The OC Register reported that Begay remains in pretrial confinement.

About Shawn Snow

Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.

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