Just moments after allegedly murdering more than a dozen Afghan civilians in an apparent unprovoked attack, American staff sergeant Robert Bales called his wife from a jail in Afghanistan. "[Bales] told her something terrible had happened," the wife's lawyer told ABC News today.

Robert Bales called his wife Kari after he had surrendered to coalition forces there and spoke to her for about three minutes before the call was cut off, attorney Lance Rosen said.

It wasn't until Bales was back in the U.S. that Bales spoke to his wife again Wednesday.

According to Rosen, the two did not discuss the case against Bales in the more recent call, but spoke about the couple's two young children.

"It was so good to hear his voice," Kari Bales told Rosen.

Today Bales was charged with 17 counts of murder, plus six counts of aggravated assault and six counts of attempted murder.

Click here to read more about the deadly incident and Bales' lawyer's comments on the case.