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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A Champaign military veteran who experts say suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder when he shot his wife has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1wMjUgA ) 35-year-old Mikal Washington was sentenced after pleading guilty but mentally ill to a charge of aggravated battery with a firearm. He shot his now ex-wife in the side several times while she was driving him in their minivan in December 2012.
Prosecutors dismissed a count of attempted first-degree murder in the plea deal.
Three psychologists agree that Washington suffered from PTSD after his military service in Kuwait and Afghanistan. One psychologist says a workplace explosion that burned Washington after his return exacerbated his PTSD.
Washington could be released from prison in about 6 ½ years with credit for good behavior and time already served.
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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com
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