Noor Salman, the widow of 2016 Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen, was found not guilty on all charges early Monday morning. Salman, the center of a three-day deliberation, was accused of helping Mateen carry out the Pulse attack and obstructing justice during the FBI’s investigation, according to The Intercept.
Officials suspected that Salman had provided Mateen with materials that supported terrorism, despite her lack of ties to any radicalism or terrorist groups. According to The Intercept, Salman was actually a victim of her husband’s violence, never aiding him with his crimes.
But that wasn’t the only strange part about Salman’s trial. Prosecutors from the Justice Department were caught lying about Salman allegedly casing Pulse with Mateen – something the FBI clarified as false. Even more strange, Salman had no connection to Pulse prior to the shooting.
Image source: CBS12
And despite a confession signed by Salman herself, per the New York Times, the jury didn’t find Salman at fault for any of the charges. In fact, the confession is suspected to have been coerced and was deemed invalid by both the jury and FBI officials.
Though Salman receiving justice is a great outcome, the hoops she had to jump through are not. Many parts of Salman’s trial are now leading to questions concerning investigations like hers, as well as questioning the conduct of the FBI in these situations.
In the meantime, Salman gets to enjoy her new freedom and rebuild her life after all of the trauma.