Newsletter
Newsletter Support JNS

Pittsburgh synagogue shooter has personality disorder, expert testifies

The convicted mass murderer told a forensic psychiatrist that even if he is put to death, “the score is still 11 to one.”

Tree of Life Synagogue
A makeshift shrine to the victims of the mass shooting at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh. Credit: Brendt A. Petersen.

The convicted killer of 11 Jews at Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha Synagogue in Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, 201 is proud of his carnage.

A forensic psychiatrist, who interviewed Robert Bowers for 15 hours, told jurors in the second week of testimony that the defendant revealed what he thought today of his crime. Bowers said “They can kill me if they want, but the score is still 11 to one,” Park Deitz testified.

Bowers suffers from a personality disorder, brought about by his social isolation, according to Deitz. “All that time he spent on the internet,” he said. “That allowed him to acquire so many extreme beliefs without interacting with people who would tell him, ‘That’s stupid. Why do believe all this stuff?’”

The defense questioned Deitz—an expert for the prosecution—about the hourly rate ($600 to $800) that the government was paying him and about his distinction between mental illness and personality disorder, CBS reported.

In a break with longstanding practice, the New York City mayor does not plan to join the parade this year.
The legislation, which aims to shield educational institutions from disruptive protests, passed the council in March without a veto-proof majority.
“We have to stop the defense,” the Florida congressman said. “You’re not going to mess with us.”
“The whole world has seen Iran was building up a conventional capability where they would have so many missiles and so many drones that they could overwhelm anybody’s defenses,” the U.S. secretary of state said.
“We degraded Iran’s ability to project power outside its borders and threaten the region and threaten our interests,” Adm. Brad Cooper stated.
The City Hall rep told JNS that the New York City mayor decries “displays of support for terrorist organizations.”