The federal trial for the shooter of the Pittsburgh Synagogue massacre reached its conclusion on Friday as the defense persuaded the jury that mental illness spurred the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack.
Tree of Life Synagogue Massacre moves to final phase (Photo: The New York Times)
Suspect of Shooting Attack Claims to be Suffering Mental Disorder
The suspect in the Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, Robert Bowers, a 50-year-old truck driver, was convicted in June on 63 criminal counts for the felonious act he committed at Tree of Life synagogue.
The jury of this case has been hearing testimony in the trial’s penalty phase and will decide whether Bowers, the defendant, will receive the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole.
The evidence presented by the prosecutors showed that Bowers was motivated by his hatred of Jewish people when he opened fire at the synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018. However, the defense argues that Bowers has schizophrenia and acted out of a delusional belief that Jews were participating in the genocide of white people.
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According to a defense psychiatrist, Bowers saw himself as a soldier of God in a war in which Satan tried using Jewish people to bring about the world’s end. D. George Corvin, who met the defendant ten times and for nearly 40 hours, stated it was a delusion brought on by psychosis.
A group of defense experts, including Corvin, have disclosed that Bowers was diagnosed with schizophrenia, an intense brain disorder that triggers delusions and hallucinations. However, a neurologist who testified to the prosecution suggested that Bowers does not have schizophrenia but rather a personality disorder and is not delusional. The prosecution also contended that mental illness was not contributing to the attack as Bowers had spent six months meticulously planning the shooting.
Fine’s testimony is scheduled to continue on Monday, with expectations that the trial will draw to a close following the delivery of closing arguments and deliberations by the jury.
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