Marine staff sergeant found not guilty in 2021 death of recruit at South Carolina’s Parris Island

C0LUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A staff sergeant who oversaw Marine training at South Carolina’s Parris Island has been cleared of criminal responsibility for the death of a 19-year-old recruit during a 2021 training exercise. The Hilton Head Island Packet reports that a military jury found Staff Sgt. Steven Smiley not guilty of negligent homicide and four other counts in the death of Pfc. Dalton Beals. The defense argued Beals had an existing heart condition that contributed to his death. The prosecution had asserted Beals was suffering from heat stroke and that Smiley pushed him too hard. The jury did find Smiley guilty of violating an order that forbids drill instructors from calling recruits names.