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Man confesses to killing US soldier in Iraq

By WTOP Staff

AMANDA LEE MYERS
Associated Press

CINCINNATI (AP) — A man in Iraqi custody has confessed to killing a U.S. soldier whose remains were found in 2008, four years after he was kidnapped by insurgents and a video showed him surrounded by armed captors, an Army spokeswoman told The Associated Press on Friday.

A hearing in the case is set for Tuesday in an Iraqi court, though it’s unclear if the man who confessed to killing Sgt. Matt Maupin will attend. Maupin, of Batavia in southwestern Ohio, was captured when insurgents with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms ambushed his fuel convoy near Baghdad on April 9, 2004.

Shortly after, the haunting video of the 20-year-old soldier was released showing him sitting on the floor surrounded by masked gunmen.

Maupin’s family held out hope that he was still alive, but the U.S. military found Maupin’s skeletal remains in March 2008 in a shallow grave near Baghdad.

Lt. Col. Alayne Conway, an Army spokeswoman, told the AP on Friday that a man in custody in Iraq confessed to killing Maupin. Conway was unable to provide further details, including the man’s identity or nationality.

She referred questions to Rodney Ford, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He did not immediately respond to a request for more details Friday.

An Iraqi judge who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly to journalists told the AP on Friday that the man who confessed is Iraqi and is jailed in Baghdad.

The judge said the man initially confessed to Maupin’s killing in 2009, and was tried and sentenced to death. He is being retried, because there was something wrong in the paperwork about the initial investigation, the judge said.

The judge said the defendant was an al-Qaida leader involved in the killing of Iraqi soldiers. The judge refused to name the suspect or give more information about him and said no date had been set for the new trial.

If the man confessed in 2009, Maupin’s father, Keith Maupin, didn’t know about it.

Keith Maupin, 63, of Cincinnati, said that an official with the Army’s Office of the Judge Advocate called him six weeks ago to tell him about the confession.

“It was truly a surprise. I figured it was going to go away,” he said. “It won’t change what happened, but this guy will have to be held accountable soon. … If that means he’s put to death then so be it.”

Maupin said he will travel to Washington, D.C., to attend Tuesday’s hearing via video teleconference and will ask U.S. officials for more details about the man.

Maupin, who had fought for years to find out what happened to his son, said seeing his killer meet justice isn’t about revenge.

“They can’t hurt him no more and that’s what’s important to me,” he said.

___

Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Bob Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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