Soldier convicted of murder to be freed in March

POSTED: 02:53 PM MST Feb 04, 2013    UPDATED: 10:39 AM MST Feb 06, 2013 
evan vela
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho -

The mother of a veteran from eastern Idaho convicted of murder said her son will soon be released.

Anna Vela said Sgt. Evan Vela will be released from a military prison in Kansas on March 21.

The soldier from St. Anthony was serving a 10-year sentence. Vela has been appealing. He claims he was ordered to kill an Iraqi man who discovered his sniper hideout during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2007.

Vela's mother is thanking the community for its support during her son's imprisonment.  

We're working on getting further details.