A year after plea talks began, the 9/11 case is still in limbo, frustrating families

More than two decades after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, the five men accused have still not gone to trial, and four presidential administrations have wrestled with the Guantánamo problem. (Dion MBD for NPR)

A year ago, there had seemed to be a breakthrough in the biggest unresolved terrorism case in the United States: Settlement talks began for the five men accused in the 9/11 attacks.

The goal was for the defendants, including alleged ringleader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to plead guilty and spend up to life in prison. They would avoid a death penalty trial, but the problem-plagued case would finally end. The 9/11 judge backed the effort, canceling all public hearings for the past 12 months so lawyers could focus on negotiating.