A US Special Operations Chief’s trial may have shed new light on internal strife between Navy Seals, the select military group that handles select missions requiring a high level of skill.

A WhatsApp group formed for Navy Seals to discuss alleged war crimes committed by their chief officer, Eddie Gallagher, eventually lead to formal allegations that he fatally stabbed a wounded Islamic State teenager being held captive and shot innocent civilians. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to those charges. Closing arguments for his trail, where a jury of mostly combat Marines will decide his fate, are expected Monday.

The WhatsApp group was called “The Sewing Circle,” and members served in Gallagher’s group. Nearly a dozen have testified over the case’s trial, many under immunity, in order to depict the alleged crimes.

Seven Seals said the Special Operations Chief, who was trained as a medic, stabbed a 17-year-old Islamic State prisoner on May 3, 2017, moments after he and the other medics treated the teenager. Two Seals testified they saw Gallagher plunge his knife into his neck, including Sewing Circle member Special Operator Corey Scott, who unexpectedly said during the trial that he was the one who ultimately killed the teen by plugging his breathing tube with his thumb as an act of mercy.

In the group chat, Gallagher was referred to as “El Diablo,” Spanish for “the devil.” At one point, Mr Scott texted, of his platoon chief, “Not sure how to handle him, but he is ready to fight and kill.”

Lawyers for Gallagher say The Sewing Circle was used to orchestrate “a smear campaign” against their client. A Seal troop commander told the court that he suspected allegations against Gallagher and took no action on them months because they surfaced Gallagher was being considered for a Silver Star and a promotion.

Platoon members testified that the team was fractured.They say the group chat distinguished itself from the “Real Brotherhood,” which is what supporters of Gallagher, who has become a cause to champion among conservatives, including president Donald Trump, have taken to calling themselves.

“The Real Brotherhood is people who are OK with war crimes,” said Dylan Dille, a former Seal sniper from the platoon who testified that Gallagher took shots at civilians from the sniper tower, hitting an old man and young girl.

US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter Show all 11 1 /11 US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter US Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves court with his wife Andrea 17 June 2019. He is on military trial at San Diego Naval Based accused of murdering a wounded Isis fighter in Iraq in 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter US Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves court with his wife Andrea 18 June 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, charged with war crimes in Iraq, is shown in this undated photo provided May 24, 2019. Courtesy Andrea Gallagher/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES, NO ARCHIVE HANDOUT Andrea Gallagher via REUTERS US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter US Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher poses with his wife Andrea. Andrea Gallagher via REUTERS US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, charged with war crimes in Iraq, is shown in this undated photo provided May 24, 2019. Courtesy Andrea Gallagher/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES, NO ARCHIVE HANDOUT Andrea Gallagher via REUTERS US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter This undated selfie provided by Andrea Gallagher shows her husband, U.S. Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with allegedly killing an Islamic State prisoner in his care and attempted murder for the shootings of two Iraq civilians in 2017. Gallagher is scheduled to go on trial Monday, June 17, 2019. (Edward Gallagher/Courtesy of Andrea Gallagher via AP, File) Edward Gallagher Andrea Gallagher via AP US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter Former US Army member King Cohn arrives at court to support US Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher during the first day of jury selection on 17 June 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter Former U.S. army member King Cohn arrives at court to support U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher during the first day of jury selection at the court-martial trial at Naval Base San Diego in San Diego, California , U.S., June 17, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake MIKE BLAKE REUTERS/Mike Blake US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter FILE PHOTO: U.S. Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, charged with war crimes in Iraq, is shown in this undated photo provided May 24, 2019. Courtesy Andrea Gallagher/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES, NO ARCHIVE/File Photo Handout . Andrea Gallagher via REUTERS US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter Defence attorney Timothy Parlatore, representing US Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, speaks with reporters at a pre-trial hearing. Earnie Grafton/REUTERS US Navy SEAL on trial accused of murdering wounded Isis fighter FILE - This 2018 file photo provided by Andrea Gallagher shows her husband, Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, who has been charged with murder in the 2017 death of an Iraqi war prisoner. Lawyers for Gallagher are seeking to have the charges dismissed for alleged prosecutorial misconduct. Attorneys for Special Operations Chief Gallagher are scheduled to argue in military court Wednesday, May 29, 2019, that the case against him has been tainted by lies, withholding evidence and conducting surveillance on the defense. (Andrea Gallagher via AP, File) Andrea Gallagher Andrea Gallagher via AP

One agent who testified said that “Every single sniper in the platoon said he (Gallagher) was not a good sniper,” and that he consistently fired recklessly. In the group chat, his shooting style was discussed as well.

“I shot more warning shots to save civilians from Eddie than I ever did at ISIS. I see an issue with that,” SEAL sniper Dalton Tolbert texted the group at one point.

Gary Solis, a former military judge and Marine Corps prosecutor who teaches law at Georgetown University, told the AP that he believes the trial’s revelations will “alert the Seal community that the rules apply to them.”