The self-proclaimed Islamic State supporter who killed eight people in 2017 when he plowed a truck into a crowd on the West Side Highway bike path, killing eight people and injuring many more, was sentenced to life in prison in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.
Sayfullo Saipov, 35, will spend the rest of his days in a highly secure prison in Colorado. He will be locked in his cell for up to 23 hours a day, and will only be allowed to shower or make 15-minute phone calls to family a few times a week.
Judge Vernon Broderick imposed the maximum sentence of 260 years, along with multiple life terms. He called Saipov’s conduct — the deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11 — “among the worst, if not the worst, I’ve ever seen.”
A federal jury convicted Saipov of 28 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges, including terrorism. He faced the possibility of the death penalty, which is still legal on the federal level, but a jury could not reach a unanimous verdict during a special death penalty phase of the trial earlier this year.
The daylong proceeding was primarily dedicated to Saipov’s victims, more than a dozen of whom read statements detailing the pain he had caused, often through tears.
“This god you believe in, let him forgive you, because I never will,” Ornella Pagnucco, whose father was killed in the attack, said in Spanish.
One after the next, loved ones of the deceased and survivors of the attack described the birthdays and holidays they could no longer celebrate with their spouses, children or siblings. They spoke about the sleepless nights, the missed graduations and weddings. They explained how their lives have forever changed, and struggled to make sense of Saipov’s motivations.
“Who are you?” asked Vanesa Erlij Wittenberg, the sister of Ariel Erlij, in Spanish. “Why do you think you have the right to decide who lives or dies?”
Several victims called Saipov a “monster” and a “coward.” Some chided him for looking down throughout most of the proceedings, instead of looking into their eyes. For hours, Saipov tucked his chin into his chest, only glancing up occasionally as the victims looked right at him, their eyes unable to meet his gaze. Many wore or held T-shirts adorned with big red hearts that said “Stronger Together” and “Que el amor venza al odio” — may love overcome hate."
After the victims spoke, Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Houle said imposing the maximum sentence was necessary to send a message to anyone else considering carrying out a terrorist attack. She said Saipov had also shown no remorse, even after spending five years in solitary confinement.
“He delights in the suffering he has caused these victims,” Houle said. “He is proud of it.”
When it was Saipov’s turn to speak, he did not apologize. Instead, he delivered a lengthy religious speech, spanning from Adam and Eve to the creation of the Islamic caliphate. Through an interpreter, he called “jihad,” or fight against the enemies of Islam, the highest form of prayer.
As Saipov spoke, at times pointing his index finger and waving his right hand, victims at first craned their necks to see him and quietly listened. But as the minutes passed, some shook their heads or walked out of the courtroom. The judge pressed Saipov to speed it up.
Saipov closed his speech by saying that he had heard the victims during the trial — that he figured their tears could fill a handkerchief. But he said the tears and blood of killed Muslims could fill the entire courtroom. Then he praised Allah, just as he did at the end of his attack.
One of the survivors, Rachel Pharn, also closed her speech by praising Allah, while also condemning and questioning Saipov’s actions.
“Let’s be clear. Your actions did not serve Allah,” she said. “Your actions served no one but yourself.”
