22-year-old American Mother of young twins indirect casualty of Iraq war?

When Walter Smith returned home from his service in Iraq, the Marine showed signs of post traumatic stress disorder that would escalate into something more. The young father of twins, was a practicing Mormon before being deployed. The traumatizing experience in Iraq however, led him in a downward spiral. Upon his return, Smith was drinking and smoking and "unsure if he believed in God." In March 2006 Smith drowned Nicole Marie Speirs, the 22-year-old mother of his twin children in the bathtub. “There was no intent,” said Gary K. Searle, the deputy Tooele County attorney. “It was almost like things kept ratcheting up, without any real intervention that I can see, until one day he snapped.” Speirs parents are outraged by the representation of the case, believing Smith's behavior is that of a conscious murderer.
I really appreciated this story that I found in the LA Times. I think this issue of Post Traumatic stress is huge in criminal cases, especially those involving military. The conflict is both morally and mentally shaking: how can we blame the man that sacrificed his sanity for our country? On the other hand, how can we not bring justice to the life of Speirs? I think that members of the military deserve to have intense support including psychological evaluations. I am glad that this case is getting National attention because I think Americans need to be aware of the emotional and mental damage of war as well as the immediate repercussions. I think the LA Times did an excellent job on this story-it was well informed, interesting, and a very important, newsworthy article.