Notes from psychologist at center of Friday's testimony in penalty phase of synagogue shooting trial
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — On Day 5 of the penalty phase of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial, the prosecution poked holes in the defense's case that Robert Bowers acted out of mental illness and delusion when he killed 11 people in October 2018.
Four years after the massacre at the synagogue, the defendant showed no remorse. In fact, he told a psychologist he only wished he had killed more people and made anti-Semitic jokes about those he had killed.
Under cross-examination, defense witness Dr. Richard Rogers was asked to refer to notes he had taken during four interviews with the gunman in the Butler County Jail; the final two in September and November of last year.
Referring to an entry, Rogers testified Bowers was pleased with his actions and only wished he had killed more and referred to his 11 victims as a "Yiddish dozen," an apparent reference to the stereotype of Jews being cheap.
Another entry says Bowers thought it was "ironic" that he shot two of his victims in a kitchen near some ovens, referring to the Nazi holocaust in World War II. Rogers testified Bowers laughed when he said this.
The notes and the statement arose from the defense's case that Bowers is schizophrenic and that he could not have had the true intention to kill because he was acting under the delusions of a false reality — a wild conspiracy theory that Jews are out of destroy the white race.
But the prosecution has seized on them, not as an example of mental illness but of pure hate. Law professor Bruce Antkowiak says the government will highlight this lack of remorse in asking the jury to impose the death penalty.
"A defendant in a case like this who has demonstrated sincere remorse has a very strong point to make to the jury," Antkowiak said. "Where the opposite is demonstrated, a certain sense of pride about what happened, that can be a very, very damaging factor in a death penalty assessment."
On Friday, Rogers and U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan sparred again over Rogers' diagnosis of Bowers as a schizophrenic who had embraced non-sensical beliefs as reality, "He felt pressure to act on his delusional beliefs and as we all know he did act on his delusional beliefs."
But Olshan argued many white supremacists hold those beliefs and acting on them doesn't make them schizophrenic.
Support is available for those in need during the trial
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
Website: 1027healingpartnership.org
More resources can be found here.
Editor's note: This story references suicide. If you or a loved one is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.