CNN —
The jury in the trial of Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter Robert Bowers has reached a verdict as to whether he is eligible for the death penalty.
The eligibility phase lasted more than two weeks with testimony from 20 witnesses.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before reaching a decision.
Bowers, 50, was found guilty on June 16 of all 63 charges against him for killing 11 worshipers and wounding six others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018, the deadliest attack on Jewish people in the US. Twenty-two of those counts were capital offenses.
The jury deliberated for about an hour.
The death penalty trial is split into two parts, the guilt phase followed by the penalty phase. In this case, however, the judge granted the defense’s request to split the trial into three parts: the guilt phase, the eligibility phase and the sentencing selection phase. Each part has opening statements, closing arguments and a verdict.
During this eligibility phase, prosecutors had to prove Bowers had an intentional mental state when he committed the crimes and at least one aggravating factor applied to the mass shooting. They argued the shooting showed extensive planning and clear intent that, in Bowers’ own words, “All Jews had to die.”
In contrast, the defense sought to question whether Bowers acted with intent and highlighted his mental health issues. Several doctors testified they diagnosed him with schizophrenia and noted his delusional thoughts and conspiracies about Jews.
This is a developing story and will be updated.