Pittsburgh Synagogue Massacre Trial Testimony Ends

PITTSBURGH, PA — Testimony has ended in the trial of Robert Bowers, the man accused of slaughtering 11 Tree of Life synagogue congregants in 2018 in the worst antisemitic attack in the nation's history.

The prosecution rested its case after 11 days of testimony, and the defense attorneys for Bowers said they had no evidence to present.

Closing arguments will begin on Thursday.

Andrea Wedner, the last person to testify at the trial, that she saw her mother's right arm “get blown open in two places” by a gunman and cried “Mommy” after realizing her parent, Rose Mallinger, had been shot and killed by her side.

The defense has not denied that Bowers, 50, burst into the Squirrel Hill synagogue and went on a hate-fueled rampage as he gunned down members of the Tree of Life, Dor Hadash and New Light congregations. He also injured multiple police officers - including Pittsburgh officer Timothy Matson, who testified Wednesday - who were attempting to rescue surviving victims.

Since the trial began, the key question has whether Bowers will be able to avoid the death penalty federal prosecutors are seeking after charging him with 63 crimes, including multiple charges of hate crimes resulting in death. That question won't be answered until the sentencing phase of the trial.

This post contains information from the Associated Press.