Premeditation at heart of closing remarks in Hasan case

Premeditation at heart of closing remarks in Hasan case
Stars and Stripes
By Jennifer Hlad
Published: August 22, 2013

FORT HOOD, Texas — In the prosecution’s closing statement, Col. Steve Henricks on Thursday asked the panel of military officers in charge of deciding Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s fate to return a unanimous verdict — leaving unspoken that the government will seek the death penalty if they do.

Hasan elected to not to give any closing statement.

There is no doubt, Henricks said, that Hasan killed 13 people, injured 31 others and shot at police officer Sgt. Mark Todd on Nov. 5, 2009. But what the case boils down to, he said, is premeditation. Hasan on Wednesday chose to call no witnesses and declined to testify on his own behalf.

Thursday morning, the judge, Col. Tara Osborn, told the jury they should consider the 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder against Hasan, but if they feel there is reasonable doubt on any of those charges, they may consider charges of unpremeditated murder, attempted unpremeditated murder, aggravated assault in which grievous bodily harm is inflicted with a firearm, and, in one case, aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon.
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