Vermont man convicted of attempted murder of three Palestinian students
James Eaton, 51, faces life in prison after jury rejects insanity defense rooted in claims he was acting on orders from US and Israeli intelligence A jury has convicted a Vermont man of attempted murder in the shootings of three Palestinian college students who were walking near his home, rejecting an insanity defense rooted in his claims that he was acting on orders from the CIA and Mossad.…
A Vermont man, 51-year-old Jason Eaton, has been convicted of attempted murder for an attack on three Palestinian college students near the University of Vermont campus in Burlington. The incident, which occurred in November 2023, left Hisham Awartani paralyzed from the waist down and injured his friends, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid, both 20 at the time of the shooting.
The jury rejected Eaton's insanity defense, which claimed he was acting on orders from the CIA and Mossad. The three victims, who are now 23, testified about their peaceful walk near the university campus after a holiday weekend, celebrating birthdays and attending events. Eaton, who had recently lost his job at a credit union, is set to be held in jail pending sentencing.
His lawyers argued he was suffering from a delusional, psychotic disorder. The families of the victims expressed relief, emphasizing that Eaton's words during the trial revealed his prejudice and intent to kill the young men.
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