The sentencing phase in the trial of Robert Bowers, who perpetrated the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history, began with starkly contrasting portrayals of the convicted killer. Prosecutors depicted Bowers as an unrepentant antisemite fueled by hatred, while the defense emphasized his troubled childhood, mental health struggles, and susceptibility to online extremism.
Bowers, a 50-year-old former truck driver, murdered 11 worshippers from three congregations at the Tree of Life synagogue on October 27, 2018. He also injured two worshippers and five responding police officers. Having already been found guilty on 63 counts and deemed eligible for capital punishment, the jury now faces the weighty decision of whether to sentence him to death.
The prosecution opened by highlighting Bowers' online history of antisemitic rhetoric and his alleged lack of remorse, even boasting about the attack and expressing a desire to have killed more. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt emphasized the vulnerability of the victims, many of whom were elderly or disabled, gathered for religious services. She urged the jury to deliver a "verdict of justice" by imposing the death penalty.
Victim impact statements commenced with Carol Black, whose brother, 65-year-old Richard Gottfried, was among those killed. Black described her brother as a kind and loving individual, a dedicated member of the synagogue, and a close companion with whom she shared a decades-long tradition of attending University of Pittsburgh football games. His absence has left an immense void in their family.
Gottfried's wife, Margaret Durachko, spoke of their shared life of service, providing free dental care to those in need, and the harmonious blend of their Jewish and Catholic faiths. The sudden loss of her husband, with whom she anticipated decades more together, devastated her world.
Robert Bowers, the individual responsible for the tragic loss of life at the Tree of Life synagogue. (Pennsylvania Department of Transportation/Matt Rourke/AP)
The defense, led by public defender Elisa Long, presented a contrasting narrative, focusing on Bowers' traumatic upbringing. They detailed a childhood marked by parental divorce, his father's suicide following a rape charge, and his mother's expressed regret at his birth. Long argued that Bowers experienced persistent hunger and cold, leaving him deeply scarred. As an adult, he remained isolated with limited social connections.
Furthermore, the defense contended that mental illness and brain abnormalities, coupled with exposure to extremist online content, contributed to Bowers' actions. Long implored the jury to consider that another death would not achieve justice and urged them to choose life imprisonment instead.
The victims of the attack included Joyce Fienberg, 75; Rose Mallinger, 97; Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz, 66; brothers David Rosenthal, 54, and Cecil Rosenthal, 59; Bernice Simon, 84, and her husband, Sylvan Simon, 86; Dan Stein, 71; Melvin Wax, 87; and Irving Younger, 69.
