More than two decades after the September 11 attacks, the military trial of the men charged in the plot continues at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, with no clear resolution in sight. Jury selection for the death-penalty case is scheduled to begin on June 5, 2028, marking the 14th year since proceedings began. However, a complex series of appeals and procedural hurdles have prolonged the pursuit of justice for the victims’ families.
Among those following the proceedings is Cindy McGinty, whose husband, Michael G. McGinty, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate, was killed at the World Trade Center. She attended a hearing in 2023 and expressed mixed emotions about the length of the case, questioning whether the accused will ever stand trial. “My feelings are however very complicated,” she said. “I feel like the men in Guantánamo will never actually see a trial, and one of two things will happen — I will die, or they will and hence be declared innocent.”
The defendants, whose ages range from 47 to the early 60s, have experienced declining health, which lawyers attribute to years in CIA detention and inadequate medical care at Guantánamo. Prosecutors have warned family members that the trial and subsequent appeals could span multiple years. Under military justice rules, if a convicted prisoner dies while appealing, the conviction is vacated, effectively declaring the individual innocent. Prosecutors have suggested that a plea deal might prevent this outcome.
For many family members, the journey to Guantánamo Bay is fraught with grief and a sense of isolation. Relatives of 173 victims have been brought to the base’s courtroom since the first arraignment in 2008, where they observe the case from behind soundproof glass. At least 19 of these visitors, including parents and grandparents, have died during this time.
The courtroom, purpose-built for the September 11 case, has witnessed symbolic changes reflecting the passage of time; for example, emblems of the U.S. Coast Guard have been replaced by those of the U.S. Space Force, an organization created nearly 20 years after the attacks. Military Judge Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, who presides over the case, was a Georgetown University student when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon across the Potomac River.
Near the base’s Camp Justice signpost, only a single memorial plaque remains: one dedicated to Ronald P. Bucca, a New York fire marshal and Army reservist who died during the collapse of the South Tower. Efforts to maintain the memorials have waned over the years, with inscriptions fading and tributes disappearing, fueling concern among relatives that the memory of the attacks may be fading alongside the physical markers.
Relatives such as Ms. Garcia, whose husband was a victim and who has lost two sons including one to suicide, have made repeated trips to Guantánamo to bear witness and advocate for justice. She has engaged with prosecutors and lawmakers, motivated by a desire to keep the victims’ stories alive despite the drawn-out legal process.
The military trial at Guantánamo remains emblematic of the challenge in balancing due process with a collective yearning for closure among the thousands affected by the September 11 attacks. As the years pass, the possibility of a definitive verdict recedes, and for many families, the struggle for recognition continues amid fading memorials and enduring uncertainty.