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 is starting to come to an end.
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.
>>> Tree of Life, community react to guilty verdict in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial
Dr. Park Dietz spent his second day on the stand Monday, sharing the results of his forensic evaluation. He testified Bowers was cold, calm and calculated while committing the murders.
Dietz returned to the stand Tuesday.
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
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- Web: 1027healingpartnership.org
Defense attorney Michael Burt spent seven hours cross-examining prosecution rebuttal medical expert Dr. Park Dietz.
That’s longer than Dietz’s actual testimony for the prosecution.
Dietz’s testimony goes against all the defense medical experts who say Robert Bowers has epilepsy and schizophrenia. Dietz said after studying all his history and spending three days with Bowers at Butler County Prison that Bowers is not mentally ill.
So why does this back-and-forth matter to the jury?
In this stage of the trial, the prosecution is trying to prove that the victims were vulnerable and that Bowers had the capacity to plan and intent to kill when he went to the synagogue. The defense is trying to prove he couldn’t have intent because their experts say he was mentally ill.
After listening to over two weeks of testimony, the jury must decide which side is right in this situation based on the facts given to them on the stand. If just one juror decides Bowers is in fact mentally ill, the death penalty is no longer on the table and Bowers will spend the rest of his life in prison.
At this point, both sides have rested their case and the jury will be charged Wednesday morning followed by closing statements in this phase of the trial. If things go as they did in the guilt phase, the jury will have the case by lunchtime.
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