Judge Ends Blackwater Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit against Blackwater because the plaintiff could no longer afford to pay for the proceedings, the Washington Post reports. The case, which blamed Blackwater for the deaths of four contractors in 2004, has dragged on for six years. Katy Helvenston, mother of slain contractor Scott Helvenston, said she wanted the case to proceed, but can’t afford it.

“It’s pretty much destroyed my life,” she says. “I haven’t known one moment of joy since Scotty was slaughtered. … I feel so betrayed.” Insurgents killed the contractor in an ambush that precipitated the battle of Fallujah. A congressional investigation found that Blackwater was “unprepared and disorderly,” sending the contractors out in an unarmored vehicle and without basic equipment like maps. Blackwater says the ambush likely would have killed the men regardless of their equipment.