Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, families of the nearly 3,000 victims continue to await a trial for the alleged perpetrators. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the attacks, and four other alleged al-Qaida members remain in U.S. custody at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, their legal proceedings marked by numerous setbacks.

Maggie McDonnell-Tiberio, whose husband, NYPD officer Brian McDonnell, died on 9/11, expressed her dismay, stating, "Twenty-five years is too long to wait." She noted that many family members have died without seeing justice served.

The case has faced significant delays, including legal disputes over a potential 2024 plea deal. This deal, which would have seen Mohammed and two co-defendants admit guilt in exchange for avoiding the death penalty, ultimately stalled. A military judge, Lt. Col. Michael Schrama, most recently set a trial date for June 2028, but days later ruled that Mohammed's 2007 confession, obtained after his capture in Pakistan, could not be used in court due to allegations of torture.

Carol D'Allara, whose husband, NYPD officer John D'Allara, also died on 9/11, called the situation "unconscionable," adding, "Who knows if it’ll even happen then, since they’ve already changed the date numerous times."

Mohammed and the other defendants were captured between 2002 and 2003. Following their capture, they were held in a network of CIA "black sites" where interrogations took place. Mohammed has stated he proposed the hijacking plot to Osama bin Laden and trained some of the hijackers, reportedly telling interrogators, "I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z." He also confessed to other acts, including the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

In 2007, the FBI re-interviewed Mohammed and his alleged accomplices at Guantánamo, where further confessions were obtained. The following year, Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Ammar al-Baluchi, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, and Mustafa al Hawsawi were arraigned in a newly established military court.

An attempt by the Obama administration to transfer the defendants to Manhattan federal court for trial faced strong opposition from some victims' families, who feared the accused would use the proceedings for propaganda. This plan was ultimately scrapped in 2011.

Since then, the case has been further complicated by legal arguments over evidence, disputes regarding confessions, and the retirement of judges. A 2021 trial date was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Ramzi bin al-Shibh's case was separated after he was deemed mentally unfit for trial.

In 2024, the Biden administration announced a proposed plea deal aimed at resolving the protracted delays. However, amid backlash from some victims' families who felt the death penalty was the only just punishment, the administration abruptly halted the arrangement, leading to further legal battles.

Prosecutors recently indicated a willingness to proceed to trial without Mohammed's contested confession to avoid additional delays. For many families, the enduring wait is a source of continued anguish, with a palpable sense of skepticism about whether a trial will occur as scheduled. Janice Tietjen, whose son, Port Authority police officer Kenneth Tietjen, died on 9/11, noted, "I don’t have a lot of confidence that it will happen in two years."

Janice and her husband have displayed posters in their New Jersey neighborhood bearing the message, "September 11th, 25 years. Still no justice."