Jurors considering a death sentence for Pittsburgh synagogue killer Robert Bowers heard mixed testimony from doctors about whether medical scans showed any significant brain damage — a central point of contention in his lawyers’ strategy to spare his life.
The testimony came on the second day of the penalty phase in the case against Bowers, who was convicted this month of killing 11 worshippers from three congregations during the 2018 mass shooting that was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
Dr. Murray Arthur Solomon, a California doctor who testified remotely, said an MRI showed multiple lesions on the white matter in Bowers' brain, more than would be expected of a man of his age. These could be associated with problems with reasoning and making decisions, he said. “That’s a red flag when you see a large number of lesions,” said Solomon, testifying as an expert in radiology.
But defense lawyers argue that Bowers' ability to form intent was impaired by mental illness, claiming symptoms of epilepsy and schizophrenia. Dr. Joseph Mettenburg, an associate professor or radiology at Pitt who reviewed the MRI scan of Bowers, testified that he found some “white matter hyperintensities” — irregularities that could be seen with migraines or similar problems related to blood flow. But overall, he said the results showed a normal brain.
“It suggests there is a substantial imbalance in the brain,” he said, adding that there is dysfunction in parts of the brain managing stress, emotions and perceived threats. There will not be the ability to process thoughts or feelings “as effectively as you would if you had a balanced brain,” Newberg said.
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