By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) - A U.S. Navy SEAL has pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges for his role in the 2017 strangulation death of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa.

Adam Matthews entered the plea at a court-martial hearing Thursday at a Virginia naval base.

Matthews is one of four U.S. service members who were charged with murder and other crimes in the hazing-related death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a Texas native.

Military prosecutors agreed to drop the murder charge against Matthews, who expressed remorse in offering the first detailed public account of Melgar's death in Mali.

Matthews has agreed to testify against a fellow Navy SEAL and two Marines who were also charged in the incident.

The sentencing phase of Matthews' court-martial was to begin Thursday afternoon.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.