SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — A federal jury convicted David DePape, the suspect accused of fracturing Paul Pelosi’s skull with a hammer at his home, on kidnapping and assault charges on Thursday.
DePape was charged with attempting to kidnap a federal official and assaulting the immediate family member of a federal official after, as prosecutors described, he broke into then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home and hit her husband three times on the head with a hammer. The 12-member jury convicted him on both counts after deliberating for a little over a day.
The 43-year-old faces up to 20 years in prison for the kidnapping charge and up to 30 years in prison for the assault on Paul Pelosi. There is no sentencing date yet. A status conference is scheduled for Dec. 13 in in U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley’s courtroom.
DePape looked down, clasped his hands and frequently blinked his eyes as the verdict was read.
In a statement, the Pelosis said they were "deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes for Mr. Pelosi from so many across the country during this difficult time."
"The Pelosi family is very proud of their Pop, who demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage on the night of the attack a year ago and in the courtroom this week. Thankfully, Mr. Pelosi continues to make progress in his recovery,” the family said via spokesman Aaron Bennett.
Paul Pelosi testified during the trial that he still has trouble with headaches and mobility nearly a year after the assault.
DePape’s attorneys argued he didn't target Nancy Pelosi specifically because of her official duties as a member of Congress, so the kidnapping charges should not stick. Rather, Pelosi was one part of an overarching plan to kidnap politicians, celebrities and liberal thinkers, including Gavin Newsom, Tom Hanks and Hunter Biden.
The ultimate plan, DePape’s defense attorneys argued, was to trek across the country kidnapping politicians and exposing corruption to Americans.
But DePape never would have broken into the Pelosi home if Pelosi was not House Speaker, prosecutors argued, thus he intended to interfere with her official duties as House Speaker.
The government pointed to police interviews with DePape where he mentioned the word “Congress” multiple times and his claim that he wanted to break Pelosi’s kneecap so she would need to be wheeled onto the floor of Congress as a warning to other “evil” politicians.
DePape admitted to the attack but pleaded not guilty. During the trial, he testified tearfully in his own defense and said he'd spent most of his days in a Richmond garage playing video games and listening to right-wing podcasts from Tim Pool and James Lindsay that espoused right-wing conspiracies about schools being “molestation factories.”
DePape said he believed Pelosi was a part of a cabal of elites controlling the country, indoctrinating children and trampling on the rights of Americans. He said Pelosi and other progressive politicians smeared former President Donald Trump during the 2016 election.
During the trial, prosecutors showed police body camera footage of the assault on Paul Pelosi, as well as information from DePape’s computer that showed his search history; DePape had paid for a subscription service that provided him information about Pelosi, including her address and pictures of her home. He placed this information on his computer in a file titled “favorite politicians.”
DePape’s days in court are not over, however. With the federal trial concluded, the state’s case against him can proceed. DePape faces state charges that include attempted murder, elder abuse, false imprisonment and assault with a deadly weapon. He faces life in prison on those charges.
San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said Thursday that her office will confer with federal prosecutors and Paul Pelosi "as we determine what our next steps in the state case will be."
"We are confident in our case and are prepared to move forward to trial," Jenkins added.
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