The defense makes the claim that mental illness was the cause of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (Photo: The Peterborough Examiner)
The prosecution and defense are both arguing that mental illness was what led to the bloodiest anti-Semitic crime in American history as the federal trial for a man who shot and killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue nears its end.
According to a published article from U.S News, the prosecution advanced its argument that the nation’s deadliest antisemitic attack was motivated by mental illness as the federal trial for the man who brutally murdered 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue neared its conclusion on Friday.
In June, 63 criminal charges against a 50-year-old truck driver from the Baldwin suburb Robert Bowers were found to be true for the 2018 massacre at the Tree of Life synagogue.
The jury will determine whether Robert Bowers will be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of release after hearing testimony in the trial’s punishment phase.
Robert Bowers opened fire at the synagogue on October 27, 2018, killing members of three congregations who had congregated there for Sabbath worship and study.
According to evidence given by the prosecution, Robert Bowers was motivated by his hatred of Jews at the time.
According to the defense, Robert Bowers suffers from schizophrenia and acts based on a hallucination that Jews were complicit in the genocide of white people.
According to a defense psychiatrist who met with Robert Bowers ten times over nearly 40 hours on Friday, Bowers believed that he was a soldier of God engaged in a battle against Satan, who was attempting to end the world by using Jews.
It was a delusion brought on by psychosis, according to Raleigh, North Carolina, doctor George Corvin.
According to published news from PIX 11, Corvin claimed that Robert Bowers is incapable of feeling regret and that he continues to espouse erroneous opinions against Jews that are “disgustingly so.” Bowers “has a belief that we’re at the end of a war that’s been going on for thousands of years,” Corvin stated.
He suggested that Robert Bowers be put on an antipsychotic. He still believes that what he did was an awful act of violence that God ordered in hopes of saving lives. He thinks of himself as God’s tool.
“I am aware that it is ludicrous. It’s schizophrenic.”
“This is the outcome of treatment for mental disease,” Corvin continued.
Friday’s testimony also included Robert Bowers’ aunt and uncle.
He claimed to see Robert Bowers in prison because “he is my nephew and I love him,” adding that he prays for Bowers every morning.
Gunman used social media to attack Jews before deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, jurors learn (Photo: AP News)
Patricia Fine, the aunt, was anticipated to be the last defense witness. She claimed that Robert Bowers had a challenging upbringing and characterized the home he grew up in as dangerous.
She claimed that he was a depressed youngster and that she “was convinced” he would commit suicide.
An earlier defense expert had characterized Robert Bowers’ early years as being markedly disordered and claimed that during his adolescent years, he made many suicide attempts.
Monday was set aside for the continuation of Fine’s testimony, with closing remarks and jury deliberations to follow.
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