In another twist to a homicide case that began 11 months ago, Coast Guard Seaman Ethan W. Tucker has been ordered to court-martial in California for allegedly leaving a shipmate to drown in frigid Alaskan waters.

But Tucker’s military attorney, Navy Cmdr. Justin C. Henderson, predicted Tucker will be exonerated at trial.

Seaman Ethan Kelch, 19, was discovered unresponsive on the western side of Amaknak Island on Jan. 27 after going missing from the Kodiak-based cutter Douglas Munro during liberty hours the night before.

Investigators suspect that on Jan. 26 Tucker strangled Kelch and punched his head — causing bleeding that swelled between the skull and scalp — before placing his body in the water and abandoning him to die, according to charge sheets provided to Navy Times.

But the 21-year-old Tucker’s legal team has argued the seaman and another shipmate desperately tried to keep a drunken Kelch from swimming in icy water and introduced Snapchat videos spanning about 30 minutes that they contend support their theory of what really happened.

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The Coast Guard’s Dec. 23 decision to send Tucker to trial came roughly a month after he was ordered released from San Diego’s Naval Consolidated Brig Miramar, the fallout from an Article 32 hearing on the evidence in the case that sparked questions about his charges, which include murder, involuntary manslaughter and false statements.

A second hearing was conducted and it apparently convinced Pacific Area Commander Vice Adm. Linda L. Fagan to still send Tucker to trial.

Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Stephen Brickey said in a Friday email to Navy Times that the case will be submitted to his service’s chief judge for docketing and a trial judge will be assigned to hear it.

“There were no changes to the charges,” said Brickey, adding that Tucker remains restricted to Coast Guard Base Alameda and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty at general court-martial.

Defense attorney Henderson told Navy Times that Tucker “still mourns for his good friend” Kelch.

“But the defense team was not surprised by referral of these charges,” he said. "Now that he is out of the brig, Seaman Tucker looks forward to the chance to defend himself at court-martial, and we remain confident that a full and fair hearing of all the facts will vindicate him.”

About Carl Prine

Prine came to Navy Times after stints at the San Diego Union-Tribune and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He served in the Marine Corps and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. His awards include the Joseph Galloway Award for Distinguished Reporting on the military, a first prize from Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

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