Sayfullo Saipov, who was convicted in January of using a truck to kill eight people in a 2017 terrorist attack on a New York city bike path, will not face the death penalty, a split jury ruled on Monday.
The case was seen as a key test for the Biden administration’s contradictory position on capital punishment.
The DoJ sought Saipov’s execution, despite the president’s stated opposition to capital punishment. A unanimous verdict by the 12-member jury would’ve meant the first federal death sentence handed down under the Biden administration.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.