I have no idea if this drug caused him to do this, but whatever happened to him the people of Afghanistan suffered the consequences.

Now, Bales’ lawyers are using a federal statute that allows convicted service members to challenge their court martial findings in civilian court, according to John N. Maher, one of Bales’ attorneys and a former Army judge advocate general.

During Bales’ military career — which included four combat tours between 2003 and 2012 — he was given the anti-malarial drug mefloquine, which is known to have caused mental health problems in some patients, his attorneys wrote in a petition filed earlier this week in U.S. federal court.

In the case of Bales, the drug had “long-lasting adverse psychiatric effects,” including “symptoms of psychosis and tendencies to engage in violence,” the petition reads.

The atrocity was one of the worst in the war.