ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The stories and photos of three young girls, all of whom lost parents in the Sept. 11 attack at the World Trade Center, brought witnesses to tears and visibly affected jurors Thursday at the death penalty trial of al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui.
Opening the second phase of the sentencing trial — in which jurors will decide whether Moussaoui deserves execution or life in prison — prosecutors played videos of the two hijacked jetliners hitting the gleaming towers. Prosecutors also showed videos of people plunging more than 80 stories to their deaths, punctuating their presentation with family photos of loved ones.
Each hour the emotional impact grew.
Former New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani retold the now-familiar tale of his own harrowing experience in debris-choked lower Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. But it was not until he spoke of the daughter of one of his closest aides, Beth Petrone Hatton, that Guiliani’s voice quaked and broke. Firefighter Terence S. Hatton — who earned 19 medals in 21 years — died without knowing his wife was pregnant.
One female juror looked stricken. The rest hung motionless on Guiliani’s every word.
Even Moussaoui, who had affected a look of boredom during the showing of video of falling bodies, watched the ex-mayor intently as he described Terry Hatton, who was born May 15, 2002. Her picture with Guiliani flashed on the screen.
These are the pictures that we never see on TV anymore. Maybe it's time the media reminded us of why we're fighting, instead of concentrating on bad news and Grab Abu photos.
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