A jury in Florida has delivered a decisive verdict, finding Ryan Routh guilty of all charges pertaining to his thwarted assassination attempt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in September 2024. This startling revelation comes as reported by RadarOnline.com.
In a surprisingly brief deliberation of just two and a half hours, the jury condemned Routh, 59, for his premeditated actions at a golf course in West Palm Beach where he lay in wait for Trump, who was scheduled to arrive at the sixth hole. Thanks to the swift intervention of Secret Service agents, Routh was apprehended before he could execute his plan.
The court found Routh guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, and also charged him with assaulting a Secret Service agent who apprehended him after he was discovered concealed in the shrubbery alongside the golf course on September 15, 2024. Furthermore, Routh was convicted on three federal gun charges linked to his possession of an SKS-style rifle.
This conviction places Routh at risk of receiving a life sentence. Notably, he represented himself during the trial, failing to convince jurors of his innocence by arguing that he hadn’t actually fired his weapon at Trump.
The prosecution meticulously demonstrated how Routh extensively planned the attempted assassination, including several visits to the golf course where he reportedly spent 16 hours on one occasion starting as early as 4 a.m.
During the closing arguments, federal prosecutor Christopher Browne asserted that Routh had meticulously schemed the attack on Trump “for a long, long time.” He also referenced a chilling note penned by Routh prior to the attempted assassination that stated, “To the World. This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Browne emphasized, “It is not every case where the defendant writes his intent down on a piece of paper,” underlining the premeditated nature of the crime.
Despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the prosecution—including cell phone records, text messages, and online searches—Routh attempted to mount a defense by calling his long-time friend Marshall Hinshaw as a character witness.
Routh questioned Hinshaw about his perception of Routh as a peaceful individual, to which Hinshaw affirmed, “I would say so. I would not expect you to harm anyone, Ryan.” As the testimony went on, the judge eventually prompted Routh to conclude his line of questioning. Another witness, a friend of Routh’s son, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “I have never seen you as a violent person. Under stress, you have always been a jolly person.” Ultimately, Routh chose not to testify on his own behalf.
This assassination attempt occurred shortly after another incident in which an assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks, nearly killed Trump during a campaign rally on July 13, 2024. Crooks fired at Trump from a nearby rooftop, with a bullet narrowly missing Trump’s ear and tragically resulting in the death of rally attendee Corey Comperatore before a Secret Service sniper neutralized Crooks.
The verdict in Routh’s case arrives just two days after Trump delivered remarks at the memorial for Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, who was killed by assassin Tyler Robinson while addressing students at Utah Valley University on September 10.
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