PITTSBURGH — The penalty phase continued Thursday in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.
PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING TRIAL: FULL COVERAGE ⇒
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.
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Likely the last witness in this phase and the star medical expert for the prosecution took the stand Thursday afternoon.
Dr. Park Dietz is a forensic psychiatrist known for testifying in the Unabomber case and the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. But for the last nearly five years, his focus has been Bowers.
The last eight days of testimony in the federal courthouse have focused on just one thing: Bowers’ mental health.
With seven experts saying different things, it’s unclear what the jury will decide regarding Bowers’ eligibility for the death penalty.
The defense experts say Bowers has schizophrenia and brain damage and therefore did not have the intent to kill.
But the prosecution’s star witness, Dr. Dietz, says the opposite, saying upon his first meeting with Bowers, “He was focused on ‘the war now’ and didn’t know if he’d get out, but if he did ‘know your target.’ He saw himself as a soldier in a war, ready to fight in and die for white culture and white people.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health effects from the trial, go to 1027healingpartnership.org to find help resources. As always, call 911 to report threats.
- Phone: 412-697-3534
- Email: info@1027HealingPartnership.org
- Web: 1027healingpartnership.org
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