Plea negotiations could mean no 9/11 defendants face the death penalty, the US tells families

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and JENNIFER PELTZ
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plea agreements under consideration may mean that the suspected architect of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his fellow defendants never face the death penalty. The Pentagon notified families of 9/11 victims of this in a letter dated Aug. 1. Some families told The Associated Press they object strongly to resolving the case short of a verdict. Plea negotiations have been going on for the five Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, defendants in the 9/11 attacks since early 2022. The military tribunal handling the case has been mired in pre-trial hearings for more than a decade, with no trial date set.