Architect of 9/11 Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and fellow co-conspirators may be spared death penalty under new plea deal

The suspected architects behind the 9/11 terror attacks may never face the death penalty under new plea agreements being considered.

The Pentagon and FBI have advised families of some of the thousands killed that the agreements are under consideration to try and bring an end to their more than decade-long prosecution.

The move has angered some family members of the nearly 3,000 people killed outright in the terror attacks.

The notice, made in a letter that was sent to several of the families and seen by the Associated Press read: 'The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has been negotiating and is considering entering into pre-trial agreements'.

Although no plea agreement has been finalized 'and may never be finalized, it is possible that a PTA in this case would remove the possibility of the death penalty.'

The decision could impact numerous cases including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who is being held as the suspected architect of the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.

The case has played out with a changing series of defense lawyers and judges, all grappling with the legalities and logistics of the military trial. Much of the hearings have been mired in litigation over how much of the testimony should be considered inadmissible by the torture that defendants underwent in early CIA custody, including the waterboarding of Mohammed 183 times.

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