Defense Department documents given to the Associated Press under a Freedom of Information Act request suggest that Pat Tillman was intentionally murdered. Tillman’s body was examined by medical examiners after he was killed in Afghanistan in 2004, who told investigators that they were suspicious of the close proximity of three bullet holes in Tillman’s forehead that suggested he was killed by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards away. The official story from the military claims the fire came from 100 meters away. The doctors were unsuccessful at first in getting authorities to conduct an investigation as to whether a criminal act had been committed. The Pentagon eventually did conduct a criminal investigation, ruling that his death was the result of “friendly-fire”.

Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or non-criminal, punishments.

The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman’s death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and couldn’t recall details of his actions.

No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene _ no one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.

The Pentagon and the Bush administration have been criticized in recent months for lying about the circumstances of Tillman’s death. The military initially told the public and the Tillman family that he had been killed by enemy fire. Only weeks later did the Pentagon acknowledge he was gunned down by fellow Rangers.

With questions lingering about how high in the Bush administration the deception reached, Congress is preparing for yet another hearing next week.

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h/t Truthdig