Two women who lost their fathers in the September 11 attacks are seeking information regarding the stalled legal proceedings against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man accused of orchestrating the operation. Elizabeth Miller, whose father Douglas was a New York City firefighter, and Jessica Trant, whose father Daniel worked in the North Tower, are featured in a new documentary titled "Daughters of 9/11." The film follows their efforts to understand why no trial or conviction has occurred 25 years after the attacks.
The documentary features Frank Pellegrino, a retired FBI special agent who spent more than a decade searching for Mohammed. During a face-to-face interrogation at Guantanamo Bay, Mohammed confessed to being responsible for the 9/11 operation "from A to Z." However, whether this confession is legally admissible has been the subject of long-standing debate. Mohammed faces charges including conspiracy, terrorism, hijacking, and the murder of 2,976 people, alongside four other individuals involved in the trial.
In August, a military court ruled that Mohammed’s confession to Pellegrino would be inadmissible in a criminal trial. The judge determined that the statements could not be separated from the torture Mohammed underwent following his capture in 2003. The case has remained in pre-trial hearings for more than 13 years, as legal teams continue to litigate which evidence can be presented. A new trial date has been tentatively scheduled for June 2028 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
The ongoing delays in the military commission trial affect the families of the 2,976 victims killed in the 2001 attacks, as well as the five defendants currently held at Guantanamo Bay. For the relatives of the deceased, the 25-year duration without a verdict represents a lack of legal finality. Jessica Trant described the process as "mental warfare," noting that the distance of the proceedings in Cuba makes it difficult for the American public to follow the case.
The case involves the use of evidence obtained from defendants who were subjected to government-authorized torture programs. By ruling the confession inadmissible, the military court determined that statements made to FBI agents were tainted by prior coercive interrogations. This legal standard affects the prosecution’s ability to secure convictions using direct admissions of guilt.
A person following this case will notice continued updates regarding pre-trial motions and potential appeals, which have already cycled through five different sitting judges. The next major milestone is the scheduled start of the criminal trial in June 2028. Until then, families will continue to receive periodic updates on the status of the five defendants.
The documentary "Daughters of 9/11" is scheduled to air on Friday, September 11, at 9 p.m. ET on CBS and will be available for streaming on Paramount+.