They will not ask for the death penalty for the author of the massacre in El Paso

Federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty for the man accused of shooting to death more than twenty people in a racist attack at a Walmart in Step, Texasin 2019.

The Department of Justice announced its decision not to seek the death penalty against Patrick Crusius in a one-sentence ad filed Tuesday in federal court in El Paso.

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Crusius, now 24, is accused of targeting Mexicans during the Aug. 3 massacre that left 23 dead and dozens injured. The defendant, a native of the Dallas metropolitan area, faces federal hate crime charges and firearms violations, as well as state capital murder charges, and has pleaded not guilty.

Federal prosecutors did not explain their decision not to seek the death penalty for Crusius, although he could still face possible execution if convicted in state court.

The decision not to seek the death penalty in the case against Crusius could be a turning point for the Justice Departmentwho has sent mixed signals as to his stances on the federal death penalty that the president Joe Biden he promised to abolish during his presidential campaign.

Biden is the first president to openly oppose capital punishment, and his election raised the hopes of those who reject executions, who have since expressed frustration at the lack of clarity on how the government could end the punishment. of death at the federal level or even if that is the goal.

The decision comes weeks after Jaime Esparza, the former district attorney in El Paso, has assumed the US attorney’s office for West Texas. Esparza said when he was district attorney that he would seek the death penalty in the case against Crusius. A spokesman for Esparza’s office referred any questions to the Justice Department in Washington, DC, where another spokesperson declined to comment.

Crusius surrendered to the police after the massacre, saying “I was the one who shot” and that he was after Mexicans, according to an arrest warrant. Prosecutors have said he posted a manifesto online shortly before the shooting, which he said was “in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.”

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Crusius’ lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment. His case is scheduled to go to trial in federal court in January 2024.

Although the state and federal cases have moved in parallel, it is now unknown when Crusius might go to trial on the state charges.

The district attorney who had been leading the state case, Yvonne Rosales, submitted his resignation in November due to allegations of incompetence in several cases in El Paso, which has slowed the process against Crusius. The Governor of Texas, greg abbottappointed a new district attorney last month to “restore trust” in the local criminal justice system.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.