Feds File For Death Penalty In DC Murders of Two Israeli Embassy Staffers By “Pro-Palestinian”
Elias Rodriguez shouted “Free Palestine” after the execution-style murders of Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky.
In early January 2026 we covered how then-US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the feds would be seeking the death penalty in the May 2025 execution-style murder of two employees of the Israeli Embassy in DC, Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky. They were murdered outside an event at the Jewish Museum.
Elias Rodriguez, who shouted “Free, Free Palestine” when arrested, has been charged. It was a merciless assassination. Rodriques videotaped it on his own bodycam, and finished his victims off execution style, when they were on the ground trying to crawl away. We covered the events at the time:
- Two Israeli Embassy Staffers Shot Dead in DC – Suspect Chants “Free, Free Palestine”
- FBI: “Pro-Palestinian” DC Shooter Continued Firing Into Victims As They Were On Ground
- “Pro-Palestinian” Jewish Museum Murderer Recorded Killings On His Own Bodycam
- Media Worries Murders of Israeli Embassy Staffers Could Hurt Palestinian Cause
Footage showing 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez yelling “Free Palestine” while being taken into custody by D.C. Metro Police, after shooting and killing two staffers of the Israeli Embassy outside of the Capital Jewish Museum tonight in Washington, D.C. pic.twitter.com/pOyIawAMVn
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 22, 2025
BREAKING: Court documents have revealed that the only reason Elias Rodriguez did not murder more people is because his gun got jammed.
Make no mistake: This was an act of pro-Palestinian terrorism in our nation's capital. pic.twitter.com/T92v0iDp7Q
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 22, 2025
Here was the description from the Criminal Complaint and Supporting Affidavit file just after his arrest:
“Once the decedents fell to the ground, RODRIGUEZ is captured on the video advancing closer to the decedents, leaning over with them with his arm extended, and firing several more times. As Decedent-1 attempted to crawl away from RODRIGUEZ, he followed behind her and fired again…. Decedent-1 sat up. Once he reloaded, RODRIGUEZ fired several times at Decedent-1.”
In August 2025, First Degree Murder and other charges, were filed which made him death-penalty eligible.
On May 15, 2026, the DOJ filed a formal Notice of Intent To Seek The Death Penalty: in which the statutory and non-statutory grounds for seeking the death penalty were specified:
A. Statutory Threshold Factors Enumerated under 18 U.S.C. § 3591(a)(2)(A)-(D).
1. Intentional Killing. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ intentionally killed victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 18 U.S.C. § 3591(a)(2)(A). Case
2. Intentional Infliction of Serious Bodily Injury. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ intentionally inflicted serious bodily injury that resulted in the deaths of victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 18 U.S.C. § 3591(a)(2)(B).
3. Intentional Participation in Act Resulting in Death. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ intentionally participated in an act, contemplating that the life of a person would be taken and intending that lethal force would be used in connection with a person, other than the participant in the offenses, and victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim died as a direct result of the act. 18 U.S.C § 3591(a)(2)(C).
4. Intentional Engagement in Act of Violence, Knowing that the Act Created a Grave Risk of Death to a Person. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ intentionally and specifically engaged in an act of violence, knowing that the act created a grave risk of death to a person, other than the participant in the offense, such that participation in the act constituted a reckless disregard for human life, and victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim died as a direct result of the acts. 18 U.S.C § 3591(a)(2)(D).B. Statutory Aggravating Factors Enumerated under 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c).
1. Death During Commission of Another Crime. The death, and injury resulting in death, occurred during the commission by ELIAS RODRIGUEZ of the offense of killing and attempted killing of diplomats under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1116. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(1).
2. Grave Risk of Death to Additional Persons. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ, in the commission of the offense, knowingly created a grave risk of death to one or more persons in addition to victims Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(5).
3. Substantial Planning and Premeditation. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ committed the offense after substantial planning and premeditation to cause the death of a person and commit an act of terrorism. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(9).
4. Vulnerability of Victim. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ committed the offense against a victim, Sarah Milgrim, who was particularly vulnerable due to infirmity. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(11). (Count Five).
5. Multiple Killings. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ intentionally killed and attempted to kill more than one person in a single criminal episode. 18 U.S.C. § 3592(c)(16).C. Non-Statutory Aggravating Factors Identified under 18 U.S.C. § 3593(a)(2).
1. Victim Impact. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ caused injury, harm, and loss to the individuals that he killed as well as to the family, friends, and co-workers of those individuals. The injury, harm, and loss caused by ELIAS RODRIGUEZ with respect to each deceased victim is evidenced by the victim’s personal characteristics and by the impact of the victim’s death upon his or her family, friends, and co-workers.
2. Biased Motive for Committing the Offenses. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ’S actions were motivated by political, ideological, national, and religious bias, contempt, and hatred.
3. Selection of Target. ELIAS RODRIGUEZ targeted individuals whom he perceived to have attended an event for young Jewish professionals, organized by the American Jewish Committee and hosted at the Capital Jewish Museum, to amplify the effect of his crimes.
Rodriguez is a hero for much of the domestic US anti-Israel movement, part of a broader left-wing assassination culture:
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Comments
Is there any hope that, if convicted, this guy won’t spend 15+ years waiting to be executed?
No.
Maybe he’ll get the cell next to Major Nidal Hasan; we’ve only been waiting 16 years for his execution: guilty with incontrovertible proof
On the positive side, the Louisiana Senate Primary was today.
It will go to a runoff, but that scumbag RINO Cassidy won’t be in it because he came in THIRD with only 25% of the vote.
Good riddance to bad RINO rubbish.
I gotcher globalized intifada right here.
I’m all in favor of putting this scumbag to death as long as it’s a long drop with a short rope on the same day as sentencing.
Sentence him to hang, break for lunch, reconvene at 1:30 in front of the gallows.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
I just hope that a DC jury can reach a guilty verdict. I can easily see them voting not guilty because they are against the death penalty.
I can see them voting not guilty because they hate Jews
> I can easily see them voting not guilty because they are against the death penalty.
That would be truly dumb of them, since there is always a separate penalty phrase for the jury to consider if death should be imposed, AFTER they vote a defendant guilty.
surely we have an extradition agreement with israel–he murdered two of their embassy staff–perhaps a late-night flight fjb style but deport him to israel
doubt they would have any reservations about his fate
No. Not only does Israel not have a death penalty for almost any crimes, its prosecutors and judges have openly declared that should the Knesset legislate to expand the death penalty they will refuse to apply it.
Leftwing judges are the same everywhere it seems.
No, Israel’s put ours to shame. If you want to know what real judicial activism looks like, look at Israel.
It makes philosophic sense for the Israelis to oppose the death penalty. Fortunately this crime occurred in the United States when that is not the case.
Does DC really count as part of the US?
No it doesn’t. They should execute terrorists. There are very well known cases of terrorists released in very unequal exchanges subsequently committing more acts of terror.
Good. Retributive justice is richly deserved, here.
Contrast with Dhimmi-crat “justice” — these pukes would be giving the terrorist murderer medals and praise.
The assassin of CEO Brian Thompson, deserves the same fate. Death to all Dhimmi-crat assassins and terrorists.
As do those goofy lovestruck women who lust for him.
Deserves cruel and unusual punishment under a different name. Cruel and unusual should be relative in some instances.
I’d be fine with a really slow death for him. Like taking hours for him to die type of death.
He’s on video murdering two humans. He forfeited his humanity and is no longer deserving of due process. There is zero doubt to his guilt. Instead of giving him a million dollar trial, take him before a judge, show him the evidence and hang him the next day.
I no longer trust the criminal justice system to adequately punish murderous scum.