Federal Appeals Court Upholds 2 Somali Pirates' Convictions

NORFOLK, Va. — Apr 3, 2015, 3:29 PM ET
By LARRY O'DELL Associated Press

A federal appeals court in Virginia has upheld the convictions of two Somali pirates for their roles in the shooting deaths of four Americans.

A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond said Friday that Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar got a fair trial.

Each man received 21 life sentences for participating in the 2011 attack off the coast of Africa. They were among 19 men who boarded a yacht in hopes of holding the Americans for ransom. The plan fell apart when the U.S. Navy began shadowing the 58-foot sailboat.

Yacht owners Jean and Scott Adam of Marina del Rey, California and their friends, Bob Riggle and Phyllis Macay of Seattle, were killed. Four pirates also died.