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:
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). Case2. 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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