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| 10 Years for Plot to Murder Cartoonist | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| PHILADELPHIA — A federal judge on Monday sentenced a Pennsylvania woman to 10 years in prison for her part in a plan to murder a Swedish cartoonist whose images of the Prophet Muhammad offended Muslims. | |
| The woman, Colleen R. LaRose, who used “Jihad Jane” as an online alias, pleaded guilty to four charges, including conspiring to aid terrorists and to kill a person in a foreign country, after she plotted with jihadists she encountered on the Internet to kill the cartoonist, Lars Vilks, who depicted the prophet atop the body of a dog. | |
| Ms. LaRose, 50, of Pennsburg, Pa., near Philadelphia, went to Europe in 2008 with the intention of killing Mr. Vilks, but failed to meet up with the people who had encouraged the mission. She returned to the United States and was arrested after the plan was discovered. | Ms. LaRose, 50, of Pennsburg, Pa., near Philadelphia, went to Europe in 2008 with the intention of killing Mr. Vilks, but failed to meet up with the people who had encouraged the mission. She returned to the United States and was arrested after the plan was discovered. |
| Judge Petrese B. Tucker of United States District Court said Monday that she was satisfied that Ms. LaRose would have carried out the killing if she had made the right contacts. | Judge Petrese B. Tucker of United States District Court said Monday that she was satisfied that Ms. LaRose would have carried out the killing if she had made the right contacts. |
| “The court has no doubt that, given the opportunity, Ms. LaRose would have completed the mission,” the judge said at the end of the hearing, which lasted about 80 minutes. | “The court has no doubt that, given the opportunity, Ms. LaRose would have completed the mission,” the judge said at the end of the hearing, which lasted about 80 minutes. |
| But her sentence was considerably lighter than the “decades” urged by prosecutors. Ms. LaRose will get credit for the 51 months she has already spent in custody. | But her sentence was considerably lighter than the “decades” urged by prosecutors. Ms. LaRose will get credit for the 51 months she has already spent in custody. |
| The defendant, a slight woman of 4-foot-9 who wore green prison overalls and a black head scarf, made a six-minute statement to the court, admitting that she had been inspired to engage in jihad, or Islamic holy war, after seeing coverage of Palestinians “screaming and crying.” | The defendant, a slight woman of 4-foot-9 who wore green prison overalls and a black head scarf, made a six-minute statement to the court, admitting that she had been inspired to engage in jihad, or Islamic holy war, after seeing coverage of Palestinians “screaming and crying.” |
| After contacting other jihadists on the Internet, Ms. LaRose said, she had been “honored” as an American woman to be asked to undertake a mission to kill Mr. Vilks. She said she had been won over by an unnamed individual who issued her instructions. | After contacting other jihadists on the Internet, Ms. LaRose said, she had been “honored” as an American woman to be asked to undertake a mission to kill Mr. Vilks. She said she had been won over by an unnamed individual who issued her instructions. |
| “All we did was talk about jihad,” she said, in a clear but sometimes emotional statement. “I did whatever he told me. I was in a trance.” | “All we did was talk about jihad,” she said, in a clear but sometimes emotional statement. “I did whatever he told me. I was in a trance.” |
| But she said she has given up jihad after spending time with a devout Muslim family in Ireland who wanted no part in violent struggle. | But she said she has given up jihad after spending time with a devout Muslim family in Ireland who wanted no part in violent struggle. |
| “I don’t want to be into jihad no more,” she said. “It was wrong for me to even accept this assignment. I’m sorry about that.” | “I don’t want to be into jihad no more,” she said. “It was wrong for me to even accept this assignment. I’m sorry about that.” |
| Mark Wilson, a federal public defender for Ms. LaRose, urged the judge to take Ms. LaRose’s life challenges into account. “I’m not asking you to excuse what she did, but asking the court to take that into consideration,” he said. | Mark Wilson, a federal public defender for Ms. LaRose, urged the judge to take Ms. LaRose’s life challenges into account. “I’m not asking you to excuse what she did, but asking the court to take that into consideration,” he said. |
| Mr. Wilson told the court that his client had been sexually abused by her father from the age of 8, had worked as a prostitute, and had abused drugs and suffered from mental illness over many years. | Mr. Wilson told the court that his client had been sexually abused by her father from the age of 8, had worked as a prostitute, and had abused drugs and suffered from mental illness over many years. |
| Mr. Wilson said Ms. LaRose never fired a gun and had “no real concept of where she was going to get a gun.” | Mr. Wilson said Ms. LaRose never fired a gun and had “no real concept of where she was going to get a gun.” |
| The assassination plan was “more aspirational than operational,” Mr. Wilson said. | The assassination plan was “more aspirational than operational,” Mr. Wilson said. |
| Jennifer Arbittier Williams, an assistant United States attorney, asked the judge to impose a long prison sentence to deter other people who may be contemplating terrorist acts. | Jennifer Arbittier Williams, an assistant United States attorney, asked the judge to impose a long prison sentence to deter other people who may be contemplating terrorist acts. |
| “The other believers in violent jihad that were motivated by Ms. LaRose are still out there,” Ms. Williams said. | “The other believers in violent jihad that were motivated by Ms. LaRose are still out there,” Ms. Williams said. |
| Ms. LaRose was working with “truly dangerous people” including one who was a member of the Taliban living in Pakistan, Ms. Williams said. | Ms. LaRose was working with “truly dangerous people” including one who was a member of the Taliban living in Pakistan, Ms. Williams said. |
| Zane David Memeger, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, called the sentence significant, and said it would help protect the community from any future threat posed by Ms. LaRose. | Zane David Memeger, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, called the sentence significant, and said it would help protect the community from any future threat posed by Ms. LaRose. |
| Mr. Wilson called the sentence “a just and reasonable decision.” | Mr. Wilson called the sentence “a just and reasonable decision.” |