The death toll in the March 11 massacre of Afghan villagers is now 17, US defense officials say. They today confirmed that investigators have increased the number of dead from the widely reported 16, but they were unable to immediately explain the change. There was initial confusion about the number of dead in the immediate aftermath of the shooting, but Afghan and US officials had said 16 for the past week. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is expected to be charged tomorrow in the deaths and is in custody in a US military prison. (More Afghanistan stories.)