The U.S. soldier who massacred 16 Afghan villagers apologized for his "act of cowardice" as he made his case for why he should one day have a shot at freedom.
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales said Thursday that he was operating "behind a mask of fear ... and bravado" when he went on a solo nighttime mission and slaughtered villagers in mud-walled huts.
Bales, 39, pleaded guilty in June in a deal to avoid the death penalty for the March 11, 2012 attacks. A jury is determining if his life sentence should offer a chance of parole.
Bales says that he was mad at himself for being angry all the time, drinking too much and hiding his problems