Sayfullo Saipov in 2017 left eight dead and dozens injured in a massive hit-and-run with a van on the bike lane next to the Hudson
Sayfullo Saipov, the man who on Halloween 2017 returned terror to New York just a few meters from the scene of the 9/11 attacks, leaving eight fatalitieshas been condemned this thursday for a federal jury in the city. That same jury must now decide whether to sentence him to life imprisonment or death penalty, which would be the first federal death sentence under the Administration of Joe Bidenthat in campaign he had promised to end that punishment.
After several weeks of trial and six hours of deliberation Saipov, 34 years old and originally from Uzbekistan, has been found guilty of almost 30 counts, including those of murder of its eight fatalities. On October 31, he drove a rental van into the bike path that runs along the west side of Manhattan along the Hudson River and struck cyclists and pedestrians, leaving more than two dozen injured besides his eight fatalities. Among the deceased were six tourists, five Argentines and one Belgian.
The prosecution has assured during the trial that Saipov committed the attack to try to join the Islamic Statean accusation that appeared in some of the charges but that his defense lawyers rejected.
Dilemma for Biden
The government’s decision to seek the death penalty was made during the tenure of donald trumpwho came to tweet twice the day after the attack asking for it.
Once Biden became president, Saipov’s lawyers asked the Justice Department to remove it, but merrick garland, the current attorney general, decided to keep it. It is something that has also been done with six other pending cases where the death penalty had been requested before Biden came to office, although under his Administration, more than 24 death penalty requests have been withdrawn.
For Saipov to be sentenced to death, the vote of the 12 jurors must be unanimous. That part of the judicial process will start the February 6th.
…There is also something appropriate about keeping him in the home of the horrible crime he committed. Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 2, 2017