Fort Hood Soldier Found Guilty of Murder

Fort Hood soldier Brett Marvin Wessel, 26, has been found guilty of the 2013 shooting death of Sgt. Ryan F. Dickinson.

Wessel’s court martial hearing began early Monday. By Monday evening, he’d been found guilty, demoted to the rank of private, and dishonorably discharged. Wessel has been sentenced to 25 years in prison and forfeiture of pay.

Wessel and Dickinson were attending a party in West Fort Hood on the night of September 1, 2013. Witnesses testified that Wessel came and went from the party several times before being asked to leave. Wessel later returned the party and shot Dickinson, who witnesses say Wessel felt had been disrespectful to him earlier in the evening.

The prosecution initially sought to try Wessel for premeditated murder after an early investigation revealed that Wessel sent a text message to his wife reading “I’ll kill him” shortly before the shooting took place. However, during an Article 32 hearing in November, the defense successfully argued that, because Wessel had a blood alcohol level of 0.16 three hours after the shooting, he was incapable of premeditating an attack.

Wessel had been assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.