Vilseck , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The wives of three Army sergeants in prison for premeditated murder say their husbands are war heroes who should not be in prison . `` I can sympathize with them that they felt like there was nothing else they could do , '' said Jamie Leahy , wife of Sgt. Michael Leahy , a 28-year-old medic . She said her husband and the other two sergeants were heroes for protecting other soldiers . Leahy , 1st Sgt. John Hatley and Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Mayo killed four Iraqi men whom they had taken into custody at a canal in Baghdad , Iraq . During the investigation of the killings , Leahy told Army investigators that the same men they had captured would be shooting at them again if they had released them . `` It 's like somebody keeps coming and breaking into your house , and you told the cops , ` This is who it is , I saw them , they were in my house , ' '' Jamie Leahy told CNN 's `` AC 360 ° . '' `` And that 's not enough , and they are able to keep coming in and breaking into your house . `` I know it 's more severe than that , but I mean if somebody kept coming in and breaking into your house , I think that the person would either want to get a gun or something to protect themselves because you feel like in your own home , you ca n't even be safe . '' Earlier this year , Leahy , Hatley and Mayo were convicted of premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit premeditated murder in the killings of the four Iraqi detainees in March 2007 . Documents obtained by CNN , as well as Army interrogation tapes , reveal that Hatley believed that if the men were taken to a detainee holding area , they would be released because there was not enough evidence to hold them . `` It 's like you 're letting somebody go so they can come back and terrorize you again and try and kill you and maybe be successful next time , '' Jaime Leahy said . Kim Hatley made a video in a field in Schweinfurt , Germany , where she and her husband lived before he was sent to the U.S. military prison at Fort Leavenworth , Kansas . In the video , she holds up cards asking for help in freeing `` three American heroes . '' `` They served their country , and they 've been through a lot , and so have the family members , '' she told CNN . `` But , in life , with any challenge , you ca n't just look at one incident . This does not define who these soldiers are . '' Kim Hatley says her husband is a `` good man . '' `` I do n't think my husband should have gone to prison , '' she said . `` I do n't think that was fair . I do n't think any of our soldiers should have gone to prison . '' And Johana Mayo said her husband has been punished enough . `` I think that he 's given and sacrificed a lot , '' she said . `` I think he 's a war hero . He 's not a criminal and he 's ... being treated as a criminal , and he should n't be . '' The Mayos have three children , ages 15 months , 6 and 11 . Johana Mayo is legally blind and can not drive . `` I was used to relying on my husband for everything , '' she said . `` You know , and he was the one that drove the kids around . He was the one that took care of their homework and anything -- grocery shopping -- everything . I relied on him for everything , and now I feel like I have to turn to my daughter a lot , and she 's only 11 . '' All three wives have set up Web sites to support their husbands : defendjohnhatley.com , defendjosephmayo.com and supportsgtleahy.com . Hatley , who was sentenced to life imprisonment , got clemency with his sentence reduced to 40 years . Both Leahy , who also received a life sentence , and Mayo , who got 35 years , had their sentences reduced to 20 years . All three sergeants were reduced in rank to private and sent to Fort Leavenworth . `` I think that what happened was done to protect the soldiers , to keep our soldiers safe from getting harmed or killed , '' Johana Mayo said .