Donald Trump has pardoned two Navy divers, George Gentry and James Morrill, who were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of a fellow Navy diver, Dominique Ogilvie, during a 1991 training exercise in a flooded tunnel in a Washington state naval base. Ogilvie drowned after becoming separated from his dive team.
Gentry, the lead diving instructor, and Morrill, the safety officer, were initially charged with negligent homicide but were convicted of the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter in 1992. Prosecutors argued that their negligence in planning and executing the dive, including insufficient safety measures and inadequate monitoring, led to Ogilvie’s death.
The pardons, issued on Wednesday, mark the culmination of a long-fought effort by family and supporters of Gentry and Morrill who maintained their innocence. They argued that the divers were scapegoats for a tragic accident and that systemic issues within the Navy’s diving program contributed to the incident. Supporters point to their distinguished service records and the inherent dangers of military diving.
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