Tree of Life Gunman Called ‘Uncle Bob’ in Prison and Continues to Rail Against ‘Illegal Immigration’

Robert Bowers, who was convicted of killing 11 Jewish worshippers in 2018, complains about “illegal immigration” turning the U.S into a "third-world country" while watching television news from prison, according to two guards who testified on Wednesday.

Captain Jeff Kengerski, who works Butler County Prison, where Bowers has been housed for the last four years, said Bowers is referred to as “Uncle Bob” by some of the staff due to his agreeable behavior. 

Officer Adam Pry, who works in the restricted housing unit at the prison, discussed the political views he’s heard expressed by the gunman, reported WTAE. 

"He's not a fan of illegal immigrants coming across the southern border,” Pry told jurors upon cross examination by federal prosecutors. 

Bowers has made comments about the state of the country when the news is on, Pry said, but he has not seen him share or discuss those views with other inmates. 

Bowers also watches news coverage of his own case, he said. 

Pry said Bowers spends a majority of the day in his cell and that the unit can get loud sometimes due to other inmates "acting out or aggressively," according to the outlet.

He also said the unit is the "smellier area of the prison” as some inmates with mental illness spread feces, urine or vomit in their cells, the news outlet reported. 

Pry testified that he hasn’t observed Bowers take seizure medication or show signs of mental illness as far as he can tell. 

"I've never heard him complain,” Pry said, adding that Bowers is respectful and did not have any disciplinary issues as far as he knows.

Kengerski said Bowers appeared to be comfortable in prison and has never displayed or been written up about mental illness issues, but that he’s also heard him complain about immigration. 

Bowers was convicted last month of all 63 federal charges against him, including 22 capital offenses for the 2018 murders, which make him eligible for the death penalty.

Defense attorneys have spent several days going over each period of Bowers’ life in an effort to portray him as mentally unstable and troubled as a result of genetic predisposition and multi-generational trauma in an effort to convince jurors to spare his life.

The strategy is common but can be unpredictable, legal experts said. 

His attorneys shifted focus to Bowers’ adult life on Wednesday partially through a pastor who baptized the gunman in 2016 and testified to that he became enamored with the Book of Revelations. 

Pastor Jeffrey Dillinger testified that Bowers started to attend Whitehall Church of Christ in 2016, reported WTAE. 

Dillinger said Bowers would attend service on Sundays and that he baptized him after two Bible study sessions. 

Bowers told Dillinger that he wanted to study the Book of Revelations, the pastor told jurors, acknowledging that the Book does have some controversial interpretations, WTAE reported. 

Dillinger said Bowers’ was “quiet” and socially awkward with other congregants at the church and requested a private baptism, he said. 

He stopped attending church in 2017 after getting a job as a truck driver. 

Earlier in the day, the judge denied a motion filed by Bowers to exhume the remains of his father to confirm paternity. 

Defense lawyers filed the motion in an effort to establish that Robert Bowers has a family history of mental illness, namely schizophrenia. Prosecutors suggested there may be some doubt about Bowers' true parentage, reported WTAE.