Man accused of murder not part of unit
CRESWELL, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man accused of fatally shooting his neighbor last week was part of an Army unit at Fort Carson, Colo., but not the same unit whose members have been linked to a number of slayings.
An earlier version of this story reported the man was part of the unit.
Jarrod William Pardun, 28, of Creswell, was charged with the murder of 59-year-old Stephen Thurston, who was shot Saturday in the chest.
Pardun served in the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment at Fort Carson, Colo., Army spokesman Wayne Hall said. The 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment has since been transferred to Fort Hood in Texas.
A report released by the military last week found that soldiers from another Fort Carson unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team, were accused in five killings in separate attacks around Colorado Springs in 2007 and 2008. They were also involved in six more slayings in Colorado and other states since 2005.
Kathy Franklin, Pardun's sister, said her brother didn't see combat in Iraq. Rather, while stateside recovering from an injury, he watched via a remote video as a helicopter transporting members of his brigade was shot down by mortar fire.
That experience led to post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt, she said.
"He never really completely came back out of it," she said. "He didn't want to be alone. He was afraid to leave the house by himself."
The shooting in Oregon followed a confrontation in Thurston's front yard over Pardun's speeding, according to the Lane County Sheriff's Office.
Joanne Bayer, Thurston's sister-in-law, said Thurston had retired from a career with the Veterans Administration, where he worked with former soldiers dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. She said Thurston had also suffered from the syndrome.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press)
