The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort to revive a plea deal for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is accused of being the mastermind behind the 11 September 2001 attacks.
The proposed agreement would have seen Mohammed plead guilty and receive a sentence of life in prison without parole, thereby avoiding the risk of execution.
The plea deal had been approved by military prosecutors and a senior Pentagon official for Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, before then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin cancelled it in 2024. Austin stated that decisions regarding the death penalty for an attack of such gravity should be made by the defense secretary.
Relatives of the victims of the September 11 attacks were reportedly divided on the proposed agreements for Mohammed and two co-defendants. Some believed a trial was the best path to justice, while others saw the deal as a way to conclude the case.
Defense attorneys had argued that Austin acted too late, but an appeals court panel found that he acted within his authority. A trial date for Mohammed has been set for 2028.