Abduwali Muse — Plus & Easy

On April 12, 2009, with Phillips’s life in imminent danger, Navy SEAL snipers on the fantail of the Bainbridge fired simultaneously, killing the three pirates holding Phillips. Muse, who had been on the Bainbridge attempting to negotiate, was taken into custody.

On February 16, 2011, U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska sentenced Abduwali Muse to . In her statement, she noted the need to deter future pirates, but also acknowledged Muse’s youth, his difficult background in war-torn Somalia, and the fact that no one aboard the Maersk Alabama was killed (largely due to the crew’s and Navy’s actions). Muse is incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Marion, a high-security facility in Illinois. abduwali muse

The story begins on April 8, 2009, when the MV Maersk Alabama , carrying 17,000 tons of food aid to Kenya, was attacked by four Somali pirates approximately 240 nautical miles off the Somali coast. Muse, then estimated to be between 18 and 19 years old, was identified as the leader of the pirate group. On April 12, 2009, with Phillips’s life in

Muse was charged with multiple counts: piracy under the law of nations, conspiracy to commit hostage-taking, and several firearms offenses. He faced a potential mandatory life sentence for the piracy charge. District Judge Loretta A