Following the Balbir Singh Sodhi Trial

On September 11th, 2001, a tragic attack against the United States left thousands dead when Middle Eastern extremists flew two airplanes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Four days later in Mesa, Arizona, Balbir Singh Sodhi was shot and killed while planting flowers in front of his family-owned gas station. Balbir Singh was a gentle Sikh man who, in keeping with the tenets of his faith, kept a beard and wore a turban. His death was classified as a hate crime. Balbir Singh had been a beloved member of his local community, giving candy away to the neighborhood children and allowing people going through tough times to purchase gas on credit. His death sparked an outpouring of grief from the Mesa community and caught the attention of the international media. The entire Phoenix community stood with Balbir Singh and his family, decrying all acts of hatred and calling for the protection of innocent people, for peace between different cultures and religions.

As the second anniversary of the September 11th attacks comes and goes, Frank Silva Roque is standing trial in Phoenix for the murder of Balbir Singh Sodhi. Stay tuned to SikhNet for continued coverage of the murder trial.

Stories on the Trial

Balbir Singh Sodhi: From the Archives

10/15/03 Frank Roque Apologies For Death Of Sodhi Sodhi Murderer Gets Additional 36 Years 10/10/03 Frank Roque Given Death Sentence for Shooting of Balbir Singh Sodhi Sentencing Statement from the Sodhi family and the Phoenix Sikh Community 10/09/03 Jury Deliberations Continue in Sodhi Shooting 10/08/03 Roque's Attorneys Cite Mental Illness in Call for Leniency Sodhi Shooter Suffered from Disorder 10/06/03 Sikh's Family Not Out For Vengeance 10/03/03 Killer Of Sikh Man Moves Closer To Death Penalty 10/02/03 Verdict Statement On Behalf Of Sodhi Family And The Phoenix Sikh Community Peace And Justice Prevail For Sodhi Family 10/01/03 Jury Rules Sodhi Shooter Guilty US 9/11 Revenge Killer Convicted, BBC NRI Murder: Conviction Relieves Sikh Diaspora, The Times of India Man Convicted in Sikh Slaying after 9/11, ABC News Guilty of "Race Hate" Killing, News24.com 09/30/03 Out To The Jury: Sodhi Shooter's Fate To Be Decided 09/29/03 Insanity Defense Difficult for Jury 09/25/03 Expert says Video Suggests Roque Rational After Killing 09/24/03 Sodhi Jury Sees Post-Killing tape of Mesa Man who Gunned down Sikh Store Owner 09/23/03 Post-9/11 Sodhi Shooting Trial In Final Phase: Case Could Go To Jury By End Of Week Witness Say Shooter Suspect Faking Insanity 09/19/03 Court Psychiatrist Rips Apart Insanity Defense 09/18/03 Psychologist Refutes Insane Ruling in Sodhi Trial 09/17/03 No Memory of Shooting Sodhi Killer says 09/16/03 Psychologist Testifies Roque was Psychotic 09/15/03 Sikhs, Friends and the Phx Community Honor Balbir Singh at Memorial Event 09/12/03 Balbir Singh Sodhi Embrace Diversity Memorial Event Siblings Testify Balbir Singh's Shooter Mentally Ill 09/11/03 Balbir Singh Sodhi Embrace Diversity Memorial Event 09/10/03 Prosecution May Rest Case Thursday in Sikh Killing Trial 09/09/03 Defendant Told of Argument with Sikh, Friends Testify 09/08/03 Crime Scene Evidence Hard on Balbir's Widow in Hate-Crime Killing Trial 09/05/03 The Sodhi Trial Continues: Court Told Defendant Hated Arabs 09/04/03 Lawyer: 'Post-9-11 Rage Led To Sikh's Slaying' Phx Drive-By Victims Relate Terror In Sodhi Murder Trial 09/03/03 Trial Opens For Man Accused Of Killing Sikh 'World Is Watching' Trial In Post-9/11 Sikh Killing 09/02/03 Balbir Singh Sodhi Post 9/11 Hate Crime Killing Trial Begins Today 08/28/03 Sodhi Shooter Ruled Not Insane By Court Psychiatrist

From September 2001 Balbir Singh Sodhi Memorial Event Slide Show Images of Balbir Sodhi - created by Phulpreet Singh, Balbir Singh's nephew. (Sept. 27th, 2001) United Nations Secretary General Letter to the Sodhi Family US Department of Justice Letter to the Sodhi Family From September 2002 Full Circle: One Year Later, The Family of Balbir Singh Sodhi Moves On Personal Messages from the Sodhi Family Video Clip (From the Balbir Singh Sodhi Embrace Diversity Memorial Event, September 14th, 2002 in Mesa, AZ) SikhNet 9/11/02 Retrospective From September 2003 Sukhwinder Singh Remarks Phoenix Sikh Community Statement Photos from the Balbir Singh Sodhi Memorial Event SikhNet News Archive on Balbir Singh Sodhi For more clips from the Balbir Singh Sodhi Embrace Diversity Memorial Event, click here. For more information about the events of September 2001 and 2002, click here to view our Media Archives. About Sikhs Sikh Americans Understanding Turbans Presentation for Airline Security Personnel For more educational material about Sikhs and the Sikh faith, click here.