robert bales was " crazed " and " broken " when he slipped away from his remote southern afghanistan outpost and attacked mud - walled compounds in two slumbering villages nearby , lawyer john henry browne said .
the shooting spree strained already tense u.s.-afghan relations army staff sgt .
the army had been trying to have bales executed , and afghan villagers have demanded it .
 
the army would not comment on any potential deal wednesday .
but his client 's mental state did n't rise to the level of a legal insanity defense , browne said , and bales will plead guilty next week .
robert bales intends to plead guilty in the killing of 16 afghan villagers , his lawyer said wednesday .
the army staff sergeant charged with slaughtering 16 villagers in one of the worst atrocities of the afghanistan war will plead guilty to avoid the death penalty in a deal that requires him to recount the horrific attack for the first time , his attorney told the associated press on wednesday .
in addition to those killed , six afghans were wounded in the march 2012 attack near a small u.s. base in afghanistan 's kandahar province .