Elsheikh’s lawyers contend that he lied about being a “Beatle” in the interviews so he would be transferred to the US instead of being put on trial in Iraq, where he would have faced a certain death sentence and hanging.

Elsheikh’s lawyers declined to cross-examine any of the witnesses and on Tuesday presented only 20 minutes of excerpts from interviews he gave to media outlets as his defence.

The Beatles went to great lengths to hide their identity from hostages throughout their captivity. Every time the three of them entered the room, captives were forced to kneel and face the wall. They would wear a face-covering balaclava at all times.

The question of identification hung heavy over Elsheikh’s two-week federal trial.

“There is no forensic evidence linking Mr Elsheikh to any of the locations where the hostages were held,” defence attorney Nina Ginsberg said in closing statements on Wednesday, calling it the “elephant in the room.”

She noted that none of the 10 former hostages who testified about their harrowing treatment was asked to identify the defendant in court.

Prosecutors, meanwhile, said Elsheikh’s admissions alone were enough to establish his guilt.

US Attorney Raj Parekh said Elsheikh and the other Beatles were far more than paper-pushing functionaries. He told jurors the only thing they need to know is that Elsheikh was one of the Beatles, because, he said, all three were guilty in the conspiracy.

For the families, the day was important. It was the first semblance of justice any had received for the killing of their loved ones nearly eight years ago.

“It is not justice,” said Mrs Foley, “but it is something.”