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An investigating officer in the case against a U.S. Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, has recommended that charges against him be dropped, concluding that the government's allegations that the Marine executed a group of men are "unsupported and incredible."

The findings by Marine Lt. Col. Paul Ware could exonerate Lance Cpl. Justin Sharratt, who formed part of a convoy that was struck by a roadside bomb in Haditha on Nov. 19, 2005. Members of his unit -- Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment -- allegedly killed a group of young men who were ordered out of a nearby car. The Marines then went house to house in the neighborhood, allegedly killing as many as two dozen people, including women and children.

Ware's 18-page report, released by Sharratt's lawyers, was submitted Friday to Lt. Gen. James Mattis, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. Mattis could disregard the recommendation and order an administrative punishment or a court-martial, but it would be unusual for a commanding officer to go against such a strongly worded conclusion, military legal experts said.

Gary Myers and James Culp, civilian attorneys for Sharratt, said in a joint statement that they are pleased with the report and that earlier "prejudgment within some elements of the media and by certain members of Congress was particularly offensive to us," a thinly veiled reference to comments by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) last year that the shootings were cold-blooded murders.

An investigating officer has recommended that a Marine Corps general drop all charges against a Marine accused of murdering civilians in Haditha, Iraq, finding again that the 2005 shootings were "tragedies" but that the Marine did not violate the laws of combat.

Lt. Col. Paul J. Ware wrote in a 29-page report that there is insufficient evidence to show that Lance Cpl. Stephen B. Tatum did anything other than follow Marine Corps rules when he killed women and children in two houses in a residential neighborhood in Iraq on Nov. 19, 2005. Ware found that Tatum followed orders to attack the houses and shot a group of civilians only because another Marine in the unit was already shooting at them.

The case is the second in which Ware has recommended to Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis that charges be dismissed, arguing in both instances that the Marines were operating in a complex combat environment. Mattis agreed with Ware's earlier recommendation and dismissed all charges against Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt, who killed a group of men in a house hours after Marines stormed into two homes and killed civilians inside.

The shootings began after a bomb blast killed one Marine and injured two others as the unit drove a convoy through Haditha. The Marines then killed a group of men who were in a car nearby before heading into two houses in the vicinity. Ware found that Tatum was following his rules of engagement when he fired his rifle in the two houses.

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Charges have been dropped against a captain who was accused of failing to investigate the deaths of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha, the Marine Corps said Tuesday.

Capt. Lucas M. McConnell of Napa was granted immunity and ordered to cooperate with officials looking into the November 2005 killings, the Marines said in a press release.

Charges have now been dismissed against four of the eight Marines who were initially charged with murder or failure to investigate the deaths. A battalion commander has been recommended for a court-martial; a final decision is pending.

The killings occurred after a military convoy was hit by a roadside bomb that killed the driver, Lance Cpl. Miguel Terrazas of El Paso, Texas. Members of a Marine squad shot five men by a car, then killed 19 others as they cleared several houses in hopes of finding whoever set off the bomb.

Lt. Gen. James Mattis dismissed dereliction of duty charges against McConnell on Sept. 12. and determined that "administrative measures" were an appropriate punishment, the Marines said.

McConnell's attorney, Kevin McDermott, did not immediately respond to a phone message.