Jurors in the federal death penalty trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev began deliberations Tuesday, a day after both prosecutors and his lawyers told them Tsarnaev must be held accountable for participating in the terror attack.
Deliberations in the guilt phase began almost two years after twin bombs exploded near the marathon’s finish line on April 15, 2013, killing three people and wounding more than 260.
During closing arguments Monday, Tsarnaev’s lawyers agreed with prosecutors that Tsarnaev conspired with his brother to bomb the marathon and planted one of two pressure-cooker bombs that exploded that day.
But the defense said it was his now-dead older brother, Tamerlan, who was the mastermind of the attack. It was Tamerlan who bought the bomb parts, built the bombs and planned the attack, said defense attorney Judy Clarke.
“If not for Tamerlan, it would not have happened,” Clarke said.
A prosecutor told the jury that Tsarnaev made a coldblooded decision aimed at punishing America for its wars in Muslim countries.
“This was a cold, calculated terrorist act. This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty. It was to make a point,” Aloke Chakravarty said. “It was to tell America that ‘We will not be terrorized by you anymore. We will terrorize you.'”
Clarke argued that Tsarnaev fell under the influence of Tamerlan. Clarke repeatedly referred to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev — then 19 — as a “kid” and a “teenager.”
Prosecutors used their closing to remind the jury of the horror of that day, showing photographs and video of the carnage and chaos after the shrapnel-packed pressure-cooker bombs exploded. In one video, jurors could hear the agonizing screams of Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant manager who bled to death on the sidewalk. Another woman and an 8-year-old boy also were killed.
Taking aim at the argument that Tsarnaev was led astray by his older brother, Chakravarty repeatedly referred to the Tsarnaevs as “a team” and “partners” in the attack.
“That day, they felt they were soldiers. They were the mujahedeen, and they were bringing their battle to Boston,” the prosecutor said.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died four days after the bombings after he was shot by police and run over by Dzhokhar during a getaway attempt. Dzhokhar was captured hours later hiding in a dry-docked boat.
If Tsarnaev is convicted — and that is considered a near certainty, given his lawyer’s admission — the jury will then begin hearing evidence on whether he should get life in prison or a death sentence.
(AP)
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just last night had a conversation with someone. This avreich that went to study to be a CPA/israeli version. Went through it all; brilliant guy. Couldn’t find even work for internship or whatever the word would be for stag; working for a practice before getting your license. He had gone through all of bnei brak, ramat gan, tel aviv…. and wasn’t accepted anywhere and is back in kollel, wife working. Talking about a brilliant, responsible man that happens to look very chareidi…. Yitzchok Pindrus in an intervview last year stated this very clearly. They don’t need the chareidim in the workforce; cus even now the chareidim’s chance of getting a job in the secular work sector is after the arabs or immigrants. The whole to do last year was to make everyone leave the torah life and then they would agree to have them….. nothing about working….. massive discrimination.