Robert Bales pleaded guilty to all of his charges (creative commons)

READ MORE: Sgt. Robert Bales To Be Charged With Murder

Bales admitted his guilt under a deal with military prosecutors that save him from the death penalty. On trial to the judge, he said, "As far as why, I've asked that question a million times since then. There is not a good reason in this world for why I did the horrible things that I did."

He faces a lifetime in prison until the military jury decides if and when he could qualify for parole once further proceedings begin on August 19th. 

From Reuters: 

“The slayings marked the worst case of civilian slaughter blamed on a single, rogue U.S. soldier since the Vietnam War and further strained U.S.-Afghan relations after more than a decade of conflict in that country.

Wearing a military dress uniform, Bales stood beside his lawyer, Emma Scanlan, as she entered guilty pleas on his behalf to 16 counts of premeditated murder, six counts of attempted murder and seven counts of assault, as well as to alcohol and drug charges.

Prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty in return for Bales' guilty plea to the murder charges he faced.”

The judge, Army Colonel Jeffery Nance, accepted Bales plead after having him recount the entire experience and show his understanding of the situation and its consequences. 

Bales explained the situation without any signs of emotion, admitting his intent to kill without warranted reason or necessity, setting fire to his victims and being aware that it was against “their cultural norms.”

His defense attorneys have argued that Bales was suffering from post-traumatic stress and a brain injury even before his deployment to Afghanistan, although Bales also admitted to illegal steroid usage and being under the influence of alcohol.

His attornery stated that Bales intends to make a statement of apology for his actions, but the trial on Wednesday was not the appropriate time. 

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.