Death Penalty Decision Looms in Killing of Israeli Staffers, Says DC Attorney

Ver Death Penalty Decision Looms in Killing of Israeli Staffers, Says DC Attorney - Diario As en Dailymotion

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00:00I am now the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

00:05Now, a D.C. grand jury has charged in this indictment two hate crimes,

00:14alleging that he murdered Jeroen Lashinsky and Sarah Milgram

00:18because of his bias against the people of Israel.

00:22He demonstrated this hatred through his words,

00:26death to Israel, and his violent actions against Jeroen and Sarah

00:32and their co-workers from the Israeli embassy.

00:36He also posted one of his postings on social media,

00:40please, please, please, God, please, vaporize every Israeli.

00:47Prosecution efforts, deterrence efforts, give us some context about that.

00:52Attached to this indictment are further findings of the grand jury.

00:58It's designated as a notice of special findings under 18 U.S.C. 3591 and 92.

01:06This begins the statutory process and whether to seek the death penalty.

01:14This is a weighty decision.

01:15It takes time.

01:18There will be a rigorous process after which the capital case section

01:23in the Attorney General's office will advise the Attorney General

01:28and the Attorney General herself will make a decision

01:32regarding whether or not this office will seek death against Elias Rodriguez.

01:37I think it's important to identify a specific special finding.

01:50And I direct your attention to, I believe it's paragraph 28.

01:56Rodriguez committed an offense against Sarah Milgram

02:02in an especially heinous and cruel and depraved manner

02:08in that it involved serious physical abuse to Sarah Milgram,

02:13who was particularly vulnerable due to infirmity.

02:19Thank you, Judge Puro.

02:25Thank you, A.G. Dillon.

02:27FBI investigation to date indicates that the subject acted alone

02:31with the intent to commit a violent act in the District of Columbia.

02:35Based on his writings and communications,

02:38we believe he was a lone wolf actor,

02:40motivated by anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine ideology

02:45with the goal of conducting a mass shooting

02:48to call attention to his political agenda.

02:51Okay. Take care.

02:53Let's go.