Movies - TV
The Scandalous Bones Season 1 Storyline That Later Happened In Real Life
By SANDY SCHAEFER
Premiering on September 13, 2005, "Bones" was a product of the post-9/11 2000s media era, as were its characters, with FBI Agent Seeley Booth a military veteran.
Booth's idealism is tested in the Season 1 episode, "The Soldier on the Grave," when a charred dead body is found atop the grave of a soldier who died protecting his unit in Iraq.
The body is discovered to belong to Devon Marshall, a former member of the unit. Booth believes Marshall experienced survivor's guilt and committed suicide.
However, they discover he was murdered to cover up an incident in which American soldiers killed a group of innocent Iraqi civilians, a plot that has a real-world parallel.
On November 19, 2005, U.S. Marines based in Haditha killed 24 unarmed civilians after an improvised explosive device was set off by a convoy entering the Iraqi town.
The IED resulted in one death and severe injuries to others. The incident didn't receive widespread public attention until Time Magazine published an article on the event.
The episode aired before the cover-up had become public. Writer Stephen Nathan confirmed in "Bones: The Official Companion" that the story was not based on Haditha.