Alleged 9/11 Mastermind Will Finally Face Justice 27 Years After Mass Murder Plot

After a staggering quarter-century of delays, the trial date for the alleged mastermind of the deadliest terror attack on American soil has been set, but grieving families still have a little less than two years to wait.

Air Force judge Lt. Col. Michael A. Schrama dropped the ruling on August 26. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and three accused co-conspirators will face trial starting June 5, 2028 — years later than prosecutors wanted, according to a report from the BBC published on Wednesday, August 26.

Mohammed and fellow defendants Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa al-Hawsawi stand accused of conspiracy, attacking civilians, murder in violation of the law of war, terrorism and hijacking charges tied to the horrific 2001 attacks.

Prosecutors previously pushed for a January 2027 trial date, but the judge shot that down, ruling extra time is needed to hash out messy pretrial evidence battles.

The case has faced multiple delays. A trial date was once set for 2021, only to be scrapped entirely, the Associated Press reported. Schrama is already the fifth judge to preside over the case since the defendants were first arraigned way back in 2012, according to The Guardian.

The holdup is due to a fierce legal fight over torture claims. Mohammed and his co-defendants allege they were brutally coerced into confessing while locked up at Guantanamo Bay — where fewer than 20 prisoners, including Mohammed, remain.

In 2024, officials struck a plea deal that would’ve spared Mohammed the death penalty in exchange for a guilty plea and life behind bars. But outrage from grieving 9/11 families, plus intervention from then- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, helped torpedo the deal.

Now, as the nation prepares to mark 25 years later, nearly 3,000 victims’ families are still waiting for the justice they were promised.