BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- A local family who lost a loved one in the 9/11 attacks is reacting to Wednesday's announcement that a plea deal has been reached between the U.S. Government and the terrorists behind the attacks. As a result, they will avoid the death penalty.
The plea agreements include the alleged mastermind behind the attacks.
Paul Walier, a Hamburg resident, lost his sister Margaret Seeliger in the 9/11 attacks. He calls the plea agreement "a disgrace" and says 9/11 families weren't part of the negotiations in the court case.
In a statement from the Department of Defense, the Convening Authority for Military Commissions has reached plea agreements with three 9/11 attackers, including Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind behind the attacks.
Two other 9/11 attackers are not part of this plea agreement.
Walier says his sister was working for an insurance company on the 101st floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center when the attacks occurred.
"I still miss her everyday, she was great, always one of the smartest in the room, just really fun to be around well, well-rounded," he said.
Wailer says the U.S. Government has failed many 9/11 families.
"This has been going on for so long, many years, our family basically thinks it's a disgrace it's an incompetence from the government," Walier said. "I really don't even know what the purpose is of having a federal death penalty, if you're not going to use it in a case like this."
He adds that he wanted to see federal prosecutors pursue the death penalty and says he still has questions about how the terrorists were funded. Walier goes on to say that the federal government alerted families about the plea agreement just a couple days ago about their decision.
The decision to enter into plea agreements is something that 9/11 families are divided on with many supporting life sentences. In a letter from the Department of Defense to 9/11 families, the three attackers have agreed to plead guilty to all of the charges against them in exchange for the death penalty to be taken off the table. Sentencing is expected a year from now.
"Hopefully these guys just die down there soon enough," Walier said.
The letter from the DoD to 9/11 families says federal prosecutors have been in plea deal negotiations for over two years.
Jeff Preval is an award-winning anchor and reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2021. See more of his work here.
