New Finding in Pat Tillman's Death

by S-Q @ 5:20 PM MDT



CBS

CBS News Exclusive

WASHINGTON (KCBS) -- CBS News has learned that an investigation by the Pentagon inspector-general into the "friendly fire" death of San Jose's own football-star-turned-soldier, Pat Tillman, will blame nine officers, including four generals, for failing to follow regulations and using poor judgement in a series of missteps that kept the truth of how he died from his family for more than a month.

From her home in San Jose, Tillman's mother, Mary, told KCBS that the Pentagon has not contacted her, and that the investigation's conclusions were "absolute news to me." She declined further comment. Pat Tillman, a San Jose native, graduated from Leland High School.

The official version of his death was that the former NFL player had died in a firefight with the enemy in Afghanistan. It was only after a nationally televised memorial service that Tillman's wife and parents were told he had been mistakenly shot by one of his own men.