Prosecution witness testifies Pittsburgh synagogue gunman wasn't acting out of mental illness in planning, executing attack
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Did the Pittsburgh synagogue gunman knowingly and willingly kill 11 people, or was he acting out of delusion and mental illness?
A jury must decide those questions in determining whether he is eligible for the death penalty.
The defense has presented evidence the gunman was schizophrenic, epileptic and in the throes of delusion but a prosecution witness testified Wednesday that none of that is true.
Was the gunman driven by mental illness and delusion when he planned and executed his attack on the synagogue, killing 11 innocent worshippers? A prosecution witness who personally interviewed and analyzed the defendant testified Bowers' actions did not spring from mental impairments.
Vanderbilt University neurology professor Ryan Darby said the gunman is neither schizophrenic nor epileptic and presented as a mostly calm and emotionally stable person who was not in the throes of delusions before or during the attack and remains proud of his actions to this day.
"He felt in awe of his accomplishment and compared it to the founders of the U.S. Constitution must have had with their accomplishment. He said if he could of do it again, he would have killed more victims," Darby said.
Darby denied the gunman acted from a delusion when he embraced wild conspiracy theories he had discovered on the internet and the dark web -- theories about Jews and the "great replacement," the destruction of the white race by immigrant invaders. He said true delusions are generated within the person themselves.
"Delusions are personal, but this came from outside himself. It came from things he found online. This was not generated in his mind. It is my opinion these were not delusional and not the result of neurological disease," Darby said.
A defense witness testified that the fact that Bowers acted on those beliefs confirmed he was schizophrenic and delusional. But Darby said, "That wouldn't be a criteria for saying it is or is not a delusion. It is about the delusions themselves, not about the actions."
And while Darby said the gunman did have a history of depression and at least one suicide attempt, he did not act out of mental illness in planning and executing the attack. "He felt calm, focused and goal-directed. He might be injured or killed but felt he must do something in keeping with his belief. He was a soldier in this war was the way he described it," Darby said.
Defense attorney Michael Burt spent hours challenging Darby's qualifications and expertise in making these determinations and questioned whether he had contoured his opinions to the wishes of the prosecution. Darby confirmed he has testified in several cases and is making $350 an hour.
"Are you appearing as an advocate or an impartial expert?" Burt asked.
"As an impartial expert," Darby replied.
Still, the jury must sort out more than a week of conflicting medical and psychological testimony to determine the gunman's mental state at the time of the attack.
The defense is continuing to challenge Darby's testimony. The prosecution will present one final rebuttal witness Thursday before the jury votes on whether the gunman is eligible for the death penalty.
Recapping the penalty phase
During the penalty eligibility phase of the trial, medical experts have been called to the stand for testimony surrounding the gunman's diagnoses of epilepsy and schizophrenia.
Prosecutors have challenged those diagnoses.
Other testimony has included psychiatric reports, examination notes, and IQ analysis all surrounding the mental state of the accused gunman.
Last month, the gunman was convicted and found guilty of all 63 federal charges he was facing for the attack at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, when he killed 11 worshippers from three different congregations, Tree of Life, Dor Hadash, and New Light. It was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
If the jury decides he is indeed eligible for the death penalty, the case will continue onto the final phase, where they will decide if he will be sentenced to life or death.
That final phase of the trial would include victim impact statements.
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.