PITTSBURGH (AP) 鈥 A federal trial for the man who fatally shot 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue approached its conclusion Friday as the defense, trying to persuade a jury to spare his life, pressed its case that mental illness spurred the nation鈥檚 deadliest antisemitic attack.
Robert Bowers, a 50 year-old truck driver from suburban Baldwin, for the 2018 massacre at Tree of Life synagogue. The jury has been hearing testimony in the penalty phase of the trial and will decide whether Bowers will receive the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
Prosecutors have presented evidence that Bowers was when he opened fire at the synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, killing members of three congregations gathered for Sabbath worship and study. The defense argues Bowers has schizophrenia and acted out of a delusional belief that Jews were participating in a genocide of white people.
On Friday, a defense psychiatrist who met with Bowers 10 times for nearly 40 hours said Bowers saw himself as a soldier of God in a war in which Satan was trying to use Jewish people to bring about the end of the world. Dr. George Corvin, of Raleigh, N.C., said it was a delusion brought on by psychosis.
Corvin said Bowers continues to express delusional beliefs about Jews 鈥 鈥渄isgustingly so鈥 鈥 and that he is incapable of remorse. He said Bowers should be on anti-psychotic medication.
Bowers 鈥渉as a belief that we鈥檙e at the end of a war that鈥檚 been going on for thousands of years,鈥 Corvin testified. 鈥淗e still envisions what he did as an unfortunate act of violence at the direction of God 鈥 that it will save lives. He believes he鈥檚 a tool for God. I know it sounds absurd. It鈥檚 psychotic.鈥
Corvin continued: 鈥淭his is the result of a mental illness.鈥
Corvin was one of several defense experts who , a serious brain disorder whose symptoms include delusions and hallucinations. A neurologist testifying for the prosecution disputed that Bowers has schizophrenia, saying Bowers has a personality disorder but is not delusional, and that in the attack. Prosecutors have noted Bowers spent six months planning the shooting.
Also testifying Friday were Bowers' aunt and uncle.
The uncle, Clyde Munger, said he visited with Bowers in prison because 鈥渉e is my nephew and I love him.鈥 He said he prays for Bowers every morning.
The aunt, Patricia Fine, was expected to the final defense witness. She said Bowers had a difficult childhood from infancy, describing the house where he lived as unsafe. She said he was a sad child and that she 鈥渨as convinced鈥 he would take his own life. A defense expert previously and said he attempted suicide several times in his teens.
Fine's testimony was scheduled to resume Monday, with closing arguments and jury deliberations expected to follow.
