PITTSBURGH — Most prospective jurors said Monday that if they were to convict a man of killing 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, they would be capable of sentencing him to die.
The first day of Jury selection concluded in the trial of 50-year-old Robert G. Bowers, who 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, a truck driver from the Pittsburgh suburb of Baldwin, 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. Bowers’ lawyers also recently said he has schizophrenia and structural and functional brain impairments.
It was quiet outside the courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh for the start of the trial. U.S. District Judge Robert Colville began proceedings by thanking prospective jurors for their service, summarizing the case and describing the trial’s phases. Bowers sat with his attorneys and looked at documents as the judge spoke.
The courtroom gallery was largely empty, though a small group of relatives of those who were killed and at least one survivor of the attack were present.
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and the judge spent about 30 minutes questioning each of about 15 jurors to be called. Most questions revolved around whether the candidates would be willing to impose the death sentence and, if so, whether they would be open to considering mitigating evidence, including about the defendant’s mental state or childhood.
Most said they would be able to consider a sentence of death or life in prison, though a couple of candidates in the afternoon said they were mostly or entirely opposed to the death penalty.
One of them came out firmly in support of capital punishment, saying “there needs to be repercussions.” Another said a house of worship “should have been a safe place” and that she couldn’t imagine a worse crime. But she also said that after sitting behind Bowers during a previous hearing, she realized “he’s a person, not a monster.”
By the end of the day, several jurors were subjects of motions to be removed, either by one side or the other or by agreement. The motions are pending.
