Widow texts Pulse gunman about cover story, deletes message night of attack, new court filing claims

ORLANDO, Fla. — Noor Salman is accused of helping her husband plan and carry out the June 12, 2016, attack on Pulse nightclub in Orlando, and a document filed by prosecutors this week is shedding new light on the case.

The document filed Thursday lists specific instances that prosecutors mean to pursue during trial, and alludes to a text message allegedly sent by Salman to her husband about his cover story for the attack.

That text message “informing him of the cover story she had devised” was deleted from Salman’s phone, along with others, the night of the attack on Pulse, the prosecution filing claimed.

The attack resulted in the deaths of 49 people and injured dozens of others.

The filing did not say what kind of proof prosecutors had to support the claim, but indicated it would be among the main aspects of their case against Salman.

• Stating to officers of the Fort Pierce Police Department that her husband, Omar Mateen, would not have engaged in violence unless he was protecting himself.
• Stating to special agents of the FBI that Mateen left their apartment on June 11, 2016, to have dinner with a friend.
• Stating to FBI special agents that Mateen had only one firearm.
• Stating to FBI special agents that Mateen was not radical or extreme in his beliefs.
• Stating to FBI special agents that she did not see Mateen with a gun when he left their residence.
• Stating to FBI special agents that Mateen did not access the internet at their residence and had deleted his Facebook account a long time ago.
• Stating to FBI special agents that she was unaware that Mateen was planning to conduct a violent terrorist attack.

Salman has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting the attempted provision and provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization.

Her attorneys have claimed that Salman does not have the mental capacity to have been involved in the planning and execution of the Pulse attack.

Thursday’s filing was in response to Salman’s attorneys seeking more specific information on the charges against their client.

Prosecutors argue that, along with the information listed in their response, they have provided her enough information already.

Cox Media Group