DOJ to Seek Death Penalty Against Accused New York Bike Path Killer

NEW YORK—The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it plans to seek the death penalty for the man charged with using a truck to kill eight people on a Manhattan bike path on Halloween in 2017.

In a letter filed late Friday in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said Attorney General Merrick Garland “decided to continue to seek the death penalty” against Sayfullo Saipov, and that they notified the defendant’s lawyers and victims.

David Patton, a federal public defender representing Saipov, declined to comment.

The decision followed Garland’s July 2021 moratorium on federal executions while the Department of Justice reviews its use of the death penalty. Executions had resumed in 2020 under Garland’s predecessor William Barr, following a 17-year hiatus.

Saipov, 34, an Uzbek national, has pleaded not guilty to a 28-count indictment, including for murder and for providing material support to ISIS, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Prosecutors said Saipov intentionally used a Home Depot rental truck to mow down people along the West Side Highway on Oct. 31, 2017, hoping to gain membership in ISIS.

FBI agents and New York City Police Department (NYPD) investigate a pickup truck used in an attack on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan in New York on Nov. 1, 2017. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)

According to prosecutors, Saipov chose Halloween because he thought more people would be on the streets, and also planned to strike the Brooklyn Bridge.

Those killed included five Argentinian tourists and one Belgian tourist. More than one dozen other people were severely injured.

Saipov has been jailed since his arrest, and is now housed in Brooklyn. If found guilty, he could also be sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Hundreds of prospective jurors received questionnaires last month to assess their knowledge of the case and potential bias.

Formal jury selection could