Doctor testifies about medical evaluations, testing in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

WPXI.com News Staff
·2 min read
1

The penalty phase continues in the trial against Robert Bowers, the man convicted of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue in 2018.

PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING TRIAL: FULL COVERAGE ⇒

The defense is trying to persuade a jury to spare his life, while prosecutors are seeking a death sentence.

>>> Tree of Life, community react to guilty verdict in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health effects from the trial, go to 1027healingpartnership.org to find help resources. As always, call 911 to report threats.

Medical evaluations and testing are what filled testimony Monday as just one doctor sat on the stand for hours.

The jury listened as another day passes in the eligibility phase of this trial.

Robert Bowers took a lot of notes, rarely glancing up at Dr. Erin Bigler who sat on the stand for the entire day.

Dr. Bigler did not examine Bowers, but rather is an expert in neuroscience and studied the data and evaluations from at least three other doctors.

A closer view of Dr. Erin Bigler, while he was pointing out parts of the 3D-printed model of Bower’s brain this afternoon during a continuation of his testimony
A closer view of Dr. Erin Bigler, while he was pointing out parts of the 3D-printed model of Bower’s brain this afternoon during a continuation of his testimony

For nearly four hours, Bigler went step-by-step through two separate reports conducted by two separate doctors. One was the defense expert from 2019 and the other is the prosecution’s expert which was more recent in the last month.

Bigler testifies that Bowers has a superior IQ but falls off lacking in several tests including memory and processing speed which he says are signs of schizophrenia.

But as he told the jury it is important to note there is no one test to confirm any one person has this disorder.

In the cross-examination by the prosecution, Eric Olshen repeatedly emphasized that Dr. Bigler never met Bowers and did not conduct any of this data himself.

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