PITTSBURGH — The penalty phase continues in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.
PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING TRIAL: FULL COVERAGE ⇒
Jurors must now decide whether the 50-year-old should be sent to death row or sentenced to life in prison without parole.
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Jurors have seen multiple scans and images of Bowers’ brain, but on Wednesday, they heard from a doctor who spent hours meeting face-to-face with Bowers.
Dr. Siddhartha Nadkarni, a neuropsychiatrist from New Jersey who spent time interviewing and testing Bowers, told the jury that Bowers suffers from schizophrenia and epilepsy.
The trial started Thursday with testimony from Dr. Richard Rogers, a psychologist from the University of North Texas.
Rogers, who is not a medical doctor but has his doctorate in philosophy, said he has been an expert in many criminal cases and has written articles and books on the topics of criminal responsibility, insanity and competency to stand trial.
He had two visits with Bowers and spent hours with him. He said he also read the defense reports and prosecution reports as well as Gab posts made by Bowers.
He reviewed Bowers’ psychiatric history, then met with him at Butler County Jail.
Rogers said Bowers had “grossly psychotic thinking” when he planned the attack. He said that Bowers was proud of what he had done, that he saw it as heroic.
“He felt severe pressure to act on his delusional beliefs,” Rogers said. “He actually felt hurt that there was no parade for him for his warrior-like behavior. He was proud of it. He felt he had done something in his mind that might be seen as heroic. This is clearly grossly psychotic thinking,” Rogers said.
Bowers had delusions that Jews are responsible for invaders entering the United States and destroying white persons, Rogers testified.
Rogers said that he believes Bowers was suffering from a severe mental illness and that he saw himself as carrying out a mission to save the white man.
I think it’s directly linked to his delusions, Rogers testified.
Rogers said Bowers told him he was disappointed that he didn’t kill more people. Rogers said Bowers hoped it would spark copycat killings.
He said Bowers thought he deserved medals and a parade and was proud of what he did.
Under cross examination, Rogers said Bowers was “goal-oriented,” and started planning an attack on Jewish people six months before he stormed the synagogue. Roger said Bowers had also considered attacking a Jewish community center and an unnamed, “high-level” Jewish figure in Cleveland.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health effects from the trial, go to 1027healingpartnership.org to find help resources. As always, call 911 to report threats.
- Phone: 412-697-3534
- Email: info@1027HealingPartnership.org
- Web: 1027healingpartnership.org
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