Pittsburg, PA: Tree of Life Synagogue - 11 murdered - Federal Death Penalty trial *GUILTY*

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www.cbsnews.com

Death penalty trial begins for Robert Bowers, accused of shooting to death 11 Jewish worshippers at Pittsburgh synagogue

The families of those killed were divided over whether the government should pursue the death penalty, but most were in favor.
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APRIL 24, 2023 / 10:26 AM / CBS/AP

Jury selection began Monday in the federal death penalty trial of a truck driver accused of shooting to death 11 Jewish worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.


Robert G. Bowers, who is from the Pittsburgh suburb of Baldwin, faces 63 counts in the Oct. 27, 2018, attack at the Tree of Life synagogue, where members of three Jewish congregations were holding Sabbath activities. The charges include 11 counts of obstruction of free exercise of religion resulting in death and 11 counts of hate crimes resulting in death.

Bowers, 50, could get the death sentence if convicted. He offered to plead guilty in return for a life sentence, but federal prosecutors turned him down even though Joe Biden pledged while campaigning for president three years ago that, if elected, he would work to end the federal death penalty. His lawyers also recently said he has schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments.

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Live trial feed can be found at above link. ~Summer
 
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By Associated Press
June 9, 2023, at 8:00 a.m.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — One by one over the past two weeks, members of Jewish congregations in Pittsburgh have come to the witness stand in federal court and relived the horror of that October morning, when a gunman used high-powered weapons to kill 11 worshippers and badly injure others.

Police officers have testified about responding to a scene of horrific carnage and immediately coming under fire themselves, some suffering life-altering wounds from a gunman raging against Jews in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

All of this is being entered fastidiously into the record for the benefit of the jurors and alternates in a federal courtroom in Pittsburgh. So are hundreds of court exhibits showing the aftermath of the violent invasion of sacred worship that day in the Tree of Life synagogue building.

A prayer book torn by gunfire. A bullet-damaged glass door. A prayer shawl on a floor, a yarmulke on a stair, left where they had fallen from worshippers during the attack.

And photos of bodies shattered by high-powered weaponry — images so sickening that the court is not making them public.

All this to prove what? Everyone agrees on who the perpetrator was and what he did, though there's some dispute over what he was thinking.

Ultimately, this is all about whether he gets the death penalty.

<snip>

Clarke has represented some of the nation’s most notorious killers in potential death-penalty cases. They include Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is currently appealing his death sentence, as well as Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and 1996 Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph, both serving life sentences.

Unlike with some of Clarke's previous clients, however, federal prosecutors refused to accept an offer by Bowers’ defense team that he plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence. Most families of the slain worshippers have voiced support for seeking the death penalty, though some family and synagogue members favored a guilty plea in return for a life sentence, in part to spare survivors the ordeal of reliving the attack in court.
 
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LIVE UPDATES: Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial Day 9

On Thursday, the jury heard from a variety of witnesses, including FBI experts, a co-president of New Light Congregation, Tree of Life president and a Comcast employee, who discussed Bowers’ internet records.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 12, 2023 at 8:12 am EDT

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Live updates from the trial at above link. ~Summer
 
Hate crime. Federal. Death penalty. Deserves it. This isn't the first time a shooting has taken place at a "Place of worship". If you are not safe there...Being afraid to go THERE?! That's very frightening.
 
www.wpxi.com

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Trial: Day 10

Day 10 of the trial against Robert Bowers, the man accused of shooting and killing 11 worshippers at a Squirrel Hill synagogue, continues today with more witnesses taking the stand.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 13, 2023 at 8:23 am EDT

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Live updates from the trial at above link. ~Summer
 
www.wpxi.com

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting: Day 11

Day 11 of the trial against Robert Bowers, the man accused of shooting and killing 11 worshippers at a Squirrel Hill synagogue, continues today with more witnesses taking the stand.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 14, 2023 at 8:59 am EDT

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Live updates from the trial at above link. ~Summer
 
Defense and prosecution have rested their cases. Closing arguments scheduled to begin Thursday morning.
 

UPDATE 11:20 a.m.: Verdict is in​


The verdict is in. It will be given in 30 minutes, according to the court.

The jury deliberated for nearly five hours before reaching their decision.
 

UPDATE 11:53 a.m.: Robert Bowers found guilty​

Robert Bowers has been found guilty on all counts in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. (63 counts)

In the next phase of the trial, the jury will have to decide if he is sentenced to life in prison or if he’ll receive the death penalty.

Court will reconvene on June 26.
 
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www.wpxi.com

Penalty phase begins in trial of Robert Bowers, convicted of killing 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue

Jurors must now decide whether the 50-year-old should be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 26, 2023 at 6:43 am EDT

PITTSBURGH — The penalty phase is scheduled to begin today in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.

Jurors must now decide whether the 50-year-old should be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The defense requested to split it into two elements with the first being the eligibility phase.

The prosecution will have to prove that Bowers had the intent to commit hate crimes while the defense will use his mental capacity as a reason why he isn’t eligible for a punishment of death, Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center told Channel 11.

“I assume the defense will present some evidence of mental health and brain impairment since that’s the information we’ve seen in the proceedings and argue that Bowers didn’t have the intent because of his severe mental illness,” Maher said.

We’ll have a team of reporters inside the courthouse and will have updates throughout the day.
 
www.wpxi.com

Doctors give mixed testimony about brain images of Pittsburgh synagogue shooter during trial

The penalty phase continues in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 27, 2023 at 8:51 am EDT



<snip>

Testimony​

Vijayalakshmi Rajasekaran, MD, a neurology specialist in epilepsy, was the first to take the stand for the defense on Tuesday.


Bowers’ attorneys say he has a history of psychotic episodes and has epilepsy and schizophrenia.

The specialist testified she reviewed Bowers’ EEG, and no seizures were found. But, she said the EEG indicated there was potential for seizures and suggested dysfunction.

Rajasekaran also testified she knew nothing about the case or Bowers.

Dr. Andrew Newberg, a brain imaging expert at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, examined a Pet scan of Robert Bowers’ brain in November of 2021.

He testified via video feed Tuesday that he found substantial abnormalities in the brain that could impact cognitive and emotional responses. He said that could lead to schizophrenia.

Under cross-examination, Prosecutor Eric Olshan questioned Newberg specifically about schizophrenia.

Olshan: There’s no recognized scan for schizophrenia?

Newberg: No.

In an effort to convince the jury that Bowers suffers from a mental illness and should not face the death penalty, the defense continued, calling medical experts who examined images and data of Bowers’ brain and testified they found abnormalities.

But prosecutors disagree, claiming that Bowers knew exactly what he was doing when he planned and carried out the attack at the synagogue.

Dr. Murray Solomon, a neuroradiologist from California, examined the MRI of Robert Bowers’ brain.

Solomon testified via video feed that he found numerous scars on the brain and evidence of permanent brain damage.

“These lesions are everywhere through the brain. It may affect cognition and reasoning,” Solomon testified.

Solomon said he also found an increased white matter that could indicate schizophrenia.

But under cross-examination, Solomon admitted he just learned that from reading a report and a Google search.




www.wpxi.com

Penalty phase continues in trial of Robert Bowers, convicted of killing 11 at Pittsburgh synagogue

Jurors must now decide whether the 50-year-old should be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
June 28, 2023 at 9:03 am EDT
 
The penalty phase of this trial is expected to take a month to 5 weeks.

WPXI has daily updates, for those interested.

Kimster said:
I didn’t know how in the world this guy thought he was going to be innocent in front of a jury.
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IMHO, He really didn't Kimster, nor did his lawyers. The prosecution would not take the death penalty off the table for a guilty plea.

The only way to take the death penalty off the table was through a trial process and left for a jury to determine. It was the only chance he had.

I personally am not in any way sympathetic to Bowers, it is just the reality of his situation. His lawyers are trying to save his life, hoping for a holdout juror on the death penalty decision.
 
www.cbsnews.com

Defense expected to wrap up case in death penalty eligibility phase of Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

Jurors will then decide whether or not the convicted gunman Robert Bowers is eligible to receive the death penalty or not.
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JUNE 30, 2023 / 1:30 AM / CBS PITTSBURGH

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The defense team for the convicted gunman in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial is expected to wrap up its case in the death penalty eligibility phase of the trial.

Jurors will then decide whether or not he is eligible to receive the death penalty or not.

On Thursday, the defense team called a forensic psychologist to the stand who interviewed the gunman four times following the shooting.

During cross-examination, Dr. Richard Rogers testified that the gunman considered shooting up the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill, but after driving by, decided to attack the Tree of Life synagogue instead.

Prosecutors continue to maintain that the gunman acted out of hate and not mental illness.

<snip>

Recapping the penalty phase​

During the penalty eligibility phase of the trial, the defense team called a medical expert to the stand who testified that the convicted gunman is schizophrenic, epileptic, and has repeatedly tried to kill himself since childhood, starting when he was ten years old.

Prosecutors challenged the diagnoses of epilepsy and schizophrenia.

They also produced a psychiatric report from the Allegheny County Jail following the shooting, which said the defendant appeared rational, had no suicidal thoughts, and showed no signs of delusion.
 
www.clevelandjewishnews.com

Pittsburgh synagogue trial continues with discussion of shooter’s delusions

The defense called on a medical expert who claimed that the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter experienced delusions and signs of schizophrenia on Day 5 of the trial’s second phase.
www.clevelandjewishnews.com www.clevelandjewishnews.com

  • DELANEY PARKS
  • Posted 2 hrs ago at 8: 30 AM

<snip>

On Oct. 27, 2018, the defendant shot and killed 11 worshippers in the Tree of Life building, leaving six other people injured. Earlier this month, he was found guilty of all federal charges he faced, at the conclusion of the first of three trial phases.

Now, the trial has moved on to the second phase, which will determine whether the defendant is eligible for the death penalty. The defense is aiming to prove that his mental state rendered him incapable of sufficient intent to kill — citing signs of epilepsy and schizophrenia.

If even one juror decides that the shooter lacks the intent to qualify for capital punishment, the trial will conclude at the end of this phase. If the jury is unanimous in determining that he is eligible for the death penalty, a final phase will decide his sentence.
 
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Expert testifies Bowers, convicted of killing 11 in Pittsburgh synagogue, does not have delusions

The defense has rested its case.
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By WPXI.com News Staff
July 05, 2023 at 12:44 pm EDT

PITTSBURGH — The penalty phase continues in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.

The defense is trying to persuade a jury to spare his life, while prosecutors are seeking a death sentence.

The defense has rested its case.

The prosecution’s first witness is Dr. Richard Ryan, who works at Vanderbilt University in a dementia clinic. He interviewed Bowers in May of this year.

Ryan also reviewed Bowers’ MRI.

Ryan testified that Bowers had a difficult relationship with his mother and that he wasn’t religious growing up, but turned to church in 2016 after getting a flyer in the mail.

He said Bowers had a back injury and developed an addiction to opioids and would do heroin if he couldn’t get prescription drugs.


Ryan testified that Bowers once told the police he tried to kill himself so that he could go to a psychiatric hospital as a place to live.

He said Bowers’ cognitive tests were in the normal range.

Ryan said Bowers felt Jews were orchestrating and playing large roles in the immigration efforts and “He saw himself as a soldier in that war.”
 
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