Robert Bowers: Truck driver Robert Bowers will probably receive a death sentence after being held guilty of killing 11 people in a Jewish synagogue.
On October 27, 2018, Bowers stormed into a Pittsburgh synagogue and killed 11 Jewish worshippers. This was one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in American history.
All those dead were worshipping inside the Tree of Life synagogue.
Bowers, now 50, faces a possible death sentence from the jury which found him guilty of various crimes, including murder. He can also receive a life term without parole.
According to India Today, Bowers’ attorneys pleaded guilty hoping their client would receive a life term. However, prosecutors refused this offer and chose to pursue the death sentence. India Today reports that most of the victims’ families supported the prosecutors’ decision.
BBC says the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The jury took 5 hours over two days to decide the verdict which was passed on Friday, June 16.
Three-week trial
During the trial which lasted three weeks, prosecutors called more than 60 witnesses to prove that Bowers attacked the Jews because of his hatred for them.
Bowers’ team did not call any witnesses but claimed he attacked the Jews because of a delusional hatred “for immigrants and a Jewish non-profit group, not Jewish people.”
“Bowers hunted his victims”
In her closing arguments, US Attorney Mary Hahn said the assailant hunted his victims. She added, “He outright told Swat operators he went to the synagogue to kill Jews.”
Elisa Long, defence attorney for Bowers argued that “stopping religious study was not his (Bowers’) intent or motive.”
This is an important point because in order for the jury to pass a death verdict, the prosecutors must prove that Bowers was motivated by race hate while killing people.
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