Christopher Garner, a Fort Bragg soldier, will stand trial in Khabarovsk, Russia court on January 31.  New details and background information on Garner and his Russian wife Svetlana.

The criminal case involving an alleged murder by an American soldier of Aleksandr Kaminsky, a Russian citizen residing in Khabarovsk, received a bit of attention in the Russian media.  The Pacific Ocean Star, a Khabarovsk newspaper, commented on the fact that the motive for the murder is presented being that of a desire to take possession of an apartment. This doesn't make sense to Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vega, the assistant to the U.S. military attache, who arrived in Khabarovsk to be present at the trial. "They have excellent housing conditions in North Carolina," said Vega.

The history of the Garner family does not generally produce the impression of the couple being savage hunters after some  real estate. After being introduced several years ago to Svetlana Latysh, a Khabarovsk resident, Christopher Garner married Svetlana and brought her to America.  There is also no question about their marriage being a fictitious one since they already have three children.

In September 2006, Svetlana's aunt died and the Garner family arrived for the funeral in Russia. Iit turned out that the lonely aunt bequeathed her apartment to Svetlana.  However the aunt toward the end of her life got involved  with the man by the name of Aleksandr Kaminskiy. Since Kaminskiy was not legally married to the aunt, he had no legal rights for the apartment. That didn't stop Kaminskiy from confronting Svetlana.

The materials of criminal case make it obvious that Kaminskiy attacked Svetlana using an electric wire and even an axe. When Christofer Garner saw what appeared to a real threat to his wife he rushed to protect Svetlana.