Lockerbie Bombing Trial Delayed Over New Evidence
The trial for Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi got pushed back on Wednesday. New evidence surfaced regarding the 1988 Lockerbie bombing that killed 259 people aboard Pan Am flight 103. Another 11 people died on the ground when the device detonated. Families had planned to face the accused in court this week. Now they wait while the legal process moves forward.
Relatives told The New York Post they still intend to confront the suspect. Some hoped to stare him down as jury selection was set to begin. The delay leaves them with an unfinished chapter in this long tragedy. Kara Weipz, whose brother Rick Monetti was killed, said the wait is painful. She noted that her brother was one of 35 Syracuse University students on the flight (a junior communications major at the time of the crash).
Weipz described the emotional toll of facing the suspect in court. She noted that some family members find peace in staring the accused down, though she personally doesn’t want to look at him. She described Al-Marimi as seeming very calculating during past hearings.
The delay adds to the constant anxiety these families feel. Weipz explained that the legal battles have dragged on for decades. Prosecutors allege Al-Marimi flew to Malta with a suitcase bomb. He allegedly met co-conspirators who told him to set a timer for the device. Under Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s direction, the bombing occurred.
Weipz hopes this trial will finally answer questions about her brother’s death. She wants a guilty verdict to hold another person accountable. She also noted that there is no such thing as total closure. The issue remains that this pain does not disappear. Who can say when a case spanning three decades might finally conclude?
The historic bombing killed a total of 270 victims in December 1988. The attack involved 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland. Al-Marimi is a former Libyan intelligence agent now in his mid-70s. This isn’t the first legal action in this case. One conviction occurred back in 2001. However, the families feel the process has been slow and difficult.
Weipz had to cancel her travel plans after the trial was delayed on Monday. She called this the latest holdup in the long-simmering case. The wreckage of the Pan-Am 747 plane was found in Scotland. It was blown up en route to JFK Airport by Libyan terrorists.
