A soldier charged with killing unarmed civilians in Afghanistan won't face the death penalty, the U.S. Army said Friday.

Specialist Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska is among five Stryker soldiers charged with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder. (U.S. Army/Associated PressSpecialist Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska, is accused of three counts of premeditated murder, plus conspiracy to commit premeditated murder, assault and impeding an official investigation, according to a statement issued by his base, Joint Base Lewis-McCord in Lakewood, Wash.

The army said a court martial will be held, but a trial date has not been set. If convicted, Morlock could face life in prison.

Morlock is one of five soldiers from a Stryker brigade who have been accused in the three killings earlier this year. Army prosecutors are reported to have alleged the soldiers attempted to cover up the deaths by staging battles with the victims.

Morlock is the only defendant to have had a preliminary hearing.

Army investigators made arrests after a witness in a drug investigation into Morlock's unit reported the killings.

At a Sept. 27 hearing, an investigator testified that Morlock said Staff Sgt. Calvin Gibbs was behind a plot to randomly kill civilians while on patrol in Kandahar province.

Wth files from the Associated Press