Staff Writer
Jury
selection for the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev began
January 5, marking the trial’s official opening. Tsarnaev is accused of
planting a bomb near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon that killed
three and injured more than 260. Tsarnaev and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev
took police on a four day manhunt. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a firefight
with local authorities. Police also believe that the brothers killed a MIT
campus police officer with a firearm a day after the bombings. Tsarnaev has
pleaded not guilty to over 30 charges, including use of a weapon of mass destruction
resulting in death, possession of a firearm during and relating to a crime of
violence, and carjacking. The prosecution is expected to seek the death
penalty.
The
Tsarnaev brothers are immigrants from the Russian republic of Chechnya.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the older brother, became a boxer while the younger became a
popular high school student and wrestler. Tsarnaev was said to adjust easier to
life in the U.S., while Tamerlan Tsarnaev was more cynical and would align with
radical Islam.
Tsarnaev’s
defense is expected to portray him as a vulnerable young man influenced and
manipulated by his radical older brother. The prosecution will argue Tsarnaev
is a cold, calculating killer that was fueled by his own extremism and hatred
of the U.S.
A
large portion of the trial will be focused on whether or not Tsarnaev will
receive the death penalty. While Massachusetts no longer has a death penalty,
the national origin of the case allows the federal government to seek the
punishment. Prosecutors have an abundance of evidence including video footage
of Tsarneav dropping a backpack containing one of the pressure cooking bombs
used during the attack. Prosecutors say the real challenge will be convincing
the jury that Tsarnaev is deserving of capital punishment.
The
trial is expected to take three to four months.
