Bail Lowered in Soldier's Russian Roulette Case

An Anchorage judge has lowered bail for the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson soldier charged with manslaughter in the death of a fellow soldier from New Jersey who shot himself while playing Russian roulette.

The decision Wednesday reduced the bail for 25-year-old Pfc. Jacob Brouch from $250,000 to $50,000, but he remains in jail.

The Anchorage Daily News reports the judge did not approve his wife as custodian. Another bail hearing will be held within two weeks to allow Brouch to find another custodian.

Police say Brouch provided the gun that 26-year-old Sgt. Michael McCloskey of Beverly, N.J., used to shoot himself March 6 at Brouch's apartment where the men had been drinking.

McCloskey was staying with his friend Brouch and at some point Saturday the men began drinking and posing for photos with a revolver belonging to Brouch, Anchorage Police said.

The men eventually wound up playing a game of Russian roulette that resulted in McCloskey shooting himself in the stomach just after 2 a.m., according to police.

After completing two tours of duty in Iraq, New Jersey-native McCloskey was on active duty working as a construction engineer with the 84th Engineer Company, sixth Engineer Battalion, and third Maneuver Enhancement Brigade in Alaska since March 2010, according to the Army.