Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre Trial: Body Exhumation Request Made

PITTSBURGH, PA — In a bizarre twist to the Pittsburgh synagogue killing court case, the defense for convicted killer Robert Bowers filed a motion Tuesday to exhume his presumed father's body.

The defense wants to exhume the body of Randall George Bowers, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia before taking his own life. Doubts were raised during the trial over whether Randall Bowers was the actual father of Robert Bowers.

"At issue in this case is whether Robert Bowers is a person with schizophrenia," the defense motion stated. "One piece of evidence proving the fact is that Robert Bowers' father has been diagnosed with schizophrenia."

During the trial, a prosecution witness testified that schizophrenia runs in families.

A jury last month took less than two hours to determine that the man who murdered 11 people at a city synagogue in 2018 is eligible for the death penalty. The jury now will decide whether Bowers, 50, will receive that penalty or life imprisonment.

Bowers, formerly of Baldwin, drove to the Tree of Life synagogue in Squirrel Hill in October 2018 armed with multiple firearms, including three Glock .357 handguns and a Colt AR-15 rifle.

While inside the synagogue, he killed and injured members of three congregations, as well as injuring multiple responding police officers they attempted to rescue surviving victims.