PITTSBURGH — Forty years before Robert Bowers was accused of gunning down 11 people in an anti-Semitic rampage at the Tree of Life synagogue, the man believed to be his father was charged with raping a stranger and later committed suicide, according to court records unsealed on Friday. The alleged attack was about a mile from where the synagogue massacre took place. The court documents add a new shard in the fragmented, solitary life of Mr. Bowers, 46, who pleaded not guilty in the killings this week. Public records, including a marriage license, indicate that Randall Bowers was the father of Robert Bowers. Relatives have declined to confirm the family relationship or discuss the family’s history.

Source: New York Times November 02, 2018 22:39 UTC