Boston bomber Tsarnaev sentenced to death

BOSTON, United States – A US jury on Friday sentenced 21-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, one of the worst assaults on American soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

It took the jury more than 14 hours to choose death on six of 17 capital counts for the Muslim former university student of Chechen descent who came to the United States as a child and became a citizen.

Their only other option was life without the possibility of release in America's toughest "super-max" prison in Colorado, which some have dubbed the "Alcatraz of the Rockies."

The same 12-member panel of jurors convicted him on April 8 on all 30 counts relating to the April 15, 2013 bombings, the murder of a police officer, a carjacking and a shootout while on the run.

Three people were killed and 264 others wounded, including 17 who lost limbs, in the twin blasts near the finish line at the northeastern city's popular marathon.

Tsarnaev went on the run and was arrested four days later, hiding and injured in a grounded boat on which he had scrawled a bloody message defending the attacks as a means to avenge US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He showed no emotion as he stood, flanked by female lawyers and wearing a dark blazer with his hands clasped before him as the court clerk declared the death penalty verdict before a hushed room.

US Attorney General Loretta Lynch called the sentence a "fitting punishment."

- Death penalty opposition -
The verdict in the federal case came despite widespread local opposition to capital punishment in Massachusetts, a largely Democratic state that abolished the death penalty in 1947.

Prominent survivors, including the parents of the youngest victim Martin Richard, had also opposed the death penalty on the grounds that years of prospective appeals would dredge up their agony.

Richard's parents were among other victims and survivors who crammed into the courtroom on Friday to hear the verdict.

The jury's 24-page verdict form showed that few on the panel bought into the defense argument that Tsarnaev was influenced by his 26-year-old brother Tamerlan, who was shot dead by police on the run.

Only three said he acted under Tamerlan's influence and that Tamerlan planned, led and directed the bombings. Only two determined that Tamerlan shot dead a university police officer while the pair were on the run.

Only one juror determined that he was unlikely to commit or incite acts of violence in the future while serving a life sentence.

The six death counts all relate to the pressure cooker bomber planted by Tsarnaev at the marathon finish line. His brother planted the other.

Judge George O'Toole will now formally sentence Tsarnaev at a hearing expected to be held later in the year.

Government prosecutors delivered a powerful closing statement Wednesday, calling Tsarnaev a remorseless terrorist who deserves to die and declaring that life imprisonment would be the "minimum" punishment.

They said he lived a double life as a pot-smoker enrolled at University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth and self-radicalized as early as high school, captivated by the teachings of US-Yemen cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

Key was his note justifying the attacks.

"No remorse, no apology. Those are the words of a terrorist convinced he has done the right thing," US assistant attorney Steven Mellin said.

- Tough trial, grim testimony -

Since the federal death penalty was reinstated in 1988, only 79 people have been sentenced to die and only three have been executed, says the Death Penalty Information Center.

Three other death verdicts were turned into life sentences after new trials were granted.

The decision caps a harrowing, more than two-month trial that saw the court relive the horror of the attacks day after day through grisly videos and heartbreaking testimony from those who lost limbs and loved ones.

The attacks shocked the relatively small northeastern city of Boston and revived fears of terrorism in the United States after the September 11, 2001 strikes on New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

The death verdict is a tough defeat for lead defense attorney Judy Clarke, who has saved some of America's most notorious criminals and convicted terrorists from capital punishment.

She admitted Tsarnaev's guilt from the outset but said he was manipulated into taking part by his more radical elder brother.

Her team deployed dozens of witnesses during a three-week sentencing phase in an attempt to save him from the death penalty.

Tsarnaev "would never have done this but for Tamerlan. The tragedy would never have occurred but for Tamerlan," she said.

She appealed to the jury to consider Tsarnaev's young age, his brother's domineering influence, his parents' return to Russia in 2012, the affection of his friends and teachers, and his apparent remorse.

Clarke portrayed an impressionable youth who was fed Al-Qaeda magazines and lectures by Tamerlan, the true mastermind of the attacks, the ignored younger son of a mentally ill father and an "intimidating," radicalized mother.

Since then, she said, Tsarnaev had expressed genuine remorse during prison visits by a Roman Catholic nun. The jury determined that Tsarnaev had demonstrated a lack of remorse.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boston bombing jury begins death penalty deliberations

BOSTON, United States - A US jury began deliberations Wednesday on whether to sentence convicted Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to death or life in prison for carrying out one of the bloodiest attacks in America since 9/11.

The jury heard closing statements from prosecutors that portrayed Tsarnaev as a remorseless terrorist who deserves to die, and from the defense that he was a "lost kid" manipulated by his radicalized older brother.

They were given lengthy instructions by federal Judge George O'Toole and given less than an hour to deliberate before being dismissed for the day and instructed to return Thursday.

The same jury found the 21-year-old former student guilty last month of carrying out the April 15, 2013 bombings that killed three people and wounded 264 at the finish line of the northeastern city's popular marathon.

The Muslim immigrant, who arrived in the United States with his parents at aged eight and took US citizenship a year before the attacks, was convicted on all 30 counts related to the bombings, and the subsequent murder of a police officer, a carjacking and a shootout while on the run.

His older brother Tamerlan, 26, was shot dead by police, leaving Dzhokhar to stand trial alone after he was captured.

Seventeen of his convictions carry the death penalty, the imposition of which on any single count must be unanimous.

Assistant US attorney Steve Mellin told jurors that Tsarnaev, who sat motionless staring at the table in front of him dressed in a dark blazer, deserved to die for inflicting carnage and terror on society.

"The only sentence that will serve justice in this case is the sentence of death," Mellin said.

The two brothers were equal partners in crime, he said, and Tsarnaev justified the attacks to avenge America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, penned in a bloody note before he was captured in a parked boat.

"No remorse, no apology. Those are the words of a terrorist convinced he has done the right thing. He felt justified in killing, maiming and seriously injuring innocent men, women and children," he said.

Jail would be 'minimum' sentence

The prosecutor recalled harrowing testimony from the loved ones of the dead, including the parents of the youngest victim eight-year-old Martin Richard and stressed the "excruciating" injuries endured by survivors.

Aggravating factors, which jurors will have to determine to award the death penalty, far outweigh 21 mitigating factors advanced by the defense in a bid to secure him life without parole, the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors rubbished any suggestion that America's most maximum security jail, ADX Florence in Colorado, would be a worse punishment than death.

Tsarnaev would be allowed to exercise, study for a college degree, even write a book, get visits, talk on the phone to family and exchange unlimited letters, they said.

Life imprisonment would be the "minimum" sentence the jury could impose, assistant US attorney William Weinreb said.

Judy Clarke, one of America's top anti-death penalty lawyers, delivered a 90-minute closing statement that stressed how Tsarnaev had expressed genuine remorse during prison visits to a famous Catholic nun.

She portrayed an impressionable youth fed Al-Qaeda magazines and lectures by his brother, the true mastermind of the attacks, son of a rootless family life, with a mentally ill father and an "intimidating," radicalized mother.

"Jahar Tsarnaev was not the worst of the worst, and that's what the death penalty is reserved for," said Clarke, using his Americanized name.

Mitigating factors

"Jahar would never have done this but for Tamerlan. The tragedy would never have occurred but for Tamerlan," she said.

Mitigating factors include Tsarnaev's young age -- 19 at the time -- his brother's domineering influence, his parents' return to Russia in 2012, the love and care of his friends, and his reported expression of remorse.

Clarke denied claims her client would enjoy life in "the most rigid, punitive prison in America," said he would not be writing a book and urged the jury not to make him a martyr.

"With either option Jahar Tsarnaev dies in prison. The question is when and how," she said. "There's no punishment, not even a death sentence that can balance the scales."

"I ask you to choose life and impose the sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of release," she finished.

Jurors have to complete a 24-page verdict form and discuss each sentencing count separately, leaving open the prospect of lengthy deliberations.

If they select the death penalty for just one count, that will be imposed.

"The choice between these very serious alternatives is yours and yours alone to make," O'Toole said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Boston celebrates July 4 amid tight security

BOSTON - Less than three months after bombs ripped through the heart of Boston, residents and visitors face heavy security as they celebrate Independence Day at an open-air concert and fireworks display on the banks of the Charles River.

Like the Boston Marathon, where two pressure-cooker bombs killed three and injured more than 260 on April 15, the Boston Pops' July Fourth concert on the Esplanade is one of the city's most cherished events and routinely draws half a million people.

This year, security is tighter than ever, police said, noting that hundreds of additional state and local police plus federal officials will be patrolling the city as well as the area around the Hatch Shell where the orchestra will play.

"We were walking around last night and we saw guys in sniper outfits," said Cindy Munroe, visiting from Coventry, Rhode Island. "It was making me a little nervous, but we're probably safer here than anywhere else right now."

By mid-afternoon, with temperatures reaching a steamy 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius), concertgoers were setting up tents and parasols as others sat on lawn chairs and blankets.

To reach the amphitheater where conductor Keith Lockhart will lead the Pops through Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture and other patriotic favorites, revelers passed through tightly controlled checkpoints, some manned by soldiers in camouflage gear. On the river, marine patrols kept watch from afar and wireless surveillance cameras were set up in trees and on poles.

Security was "obviously all over the place," said Derek Switaj, a student at Boston College, adding, "I feel safe, I feel fine, and I'm excited for tonight."

For days, police have sealed manhole covers and removed trash cans plus anything where bombs could be hidden. Police have also received millions of dollars worth of equipment, including handheld instruments that can detect whether bags hold explosives, from private companies, the firms and police said.

"We are certainly focused on this event and that people get here safely and get out safely," Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis told reporters as the city put final touches on preparations for its biggest public event since the marathon.

After the bombing, the surviving suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, told officials that he and his brother, Tamerlan, considered attacking the city on July 4 but moved up the timing after building the bombs more quickly than initially planned, law enforcement sources have said. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a shootout with police.

In the last days, police assured Boston and the country that there is no imminent danger. "There are no threats out there toward this particular event," Massachusetts State Police Colonel Timothy Alben told reporters. "But that won't affect the intensity of scrutiny."

Officials, including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who locked down the city and some suburbs as police searched for the Tsarnaev brothers on April 18 and 19 after they were identified on video cameras, urged the public to enjoy the festivities as usual.

Visitors will have to brave the day's heat with fewer amenities, however. Coolers with wheels are banned as are backpacks, sharp objects, cans, and glass containers, police said. Revelers may bring in only clear liquids in clear bottles and food in clear bags, officials explained.

By late afternoon, a large portion of the grassy oval remained empty. Some visitors sounded a determined note, showing their support for the city and the holiday.

"We don't want to lose our freedom, right?" said Munroe, the visitor from Rhode Island.

Nicole Mierzwa, who is visiting from Rochester, New York, on a 13-week nursing assignment, said she was not put off by what happened in April.

"There are crazy people everywhere, and you just have to carry on and do your thing and not be afraid," she said, standing at the edge of the lawn. "It is a little bit frightening to see machineguns and the SWAT team but it's good that they're prepared and they're taking it seriously."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pressure-cooker bombs suspected in Boston blast

BOSTON—The bombs that ripped through the Boston Marathon crowd appear to have been fashioned out of ordinary kitchen pressure cookers, packed with nails and other fiendishly lethal shrapnel, and hidden in duffel bags left on the ground, investigators and others close to the case said Tuesday.

President Barack Obama branded the attack an act of terrorism, whether carried out by a solo bomber or group, and the FBI vowed to “go to the ends of the Earth” to find out who did it.

Scores of victims remained in Boston hospitals, many with grievous injuries, a day after the twin explosions near the finish line of the world’s oldest and most prestigious marathon killed three people, wounded more than 170 and reawakened fears of terrorism in the US. A 9-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy were among 17 victims listed in critical condition.

Officials found that the bombs consisted of explosives put in common 1.6-gallon (6-liter) pressure cookers, one containing shards of metal and ball bearings, the other packed with nails, and both stuffed into duffel bags, said a source close to the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation was still going on.

Pieces of black nylon

At a news conference, FBI agent Richard DesLauriers, FBI agent in charge in Boston, confirmed that investigators had found pieces of black nylon from a bag or backpack and fragments of BBs and nails, possibly contained in a pressure cooker. He said the items were sent to the FBI for analysis in Virginia.

DesLauriers said that there had been no claim of responsibility for the attack, and that the range of suspects and motives was “wide open.”

Throughout the day, he and other law enforcement authorities asked members of the public to come forward with any video or photos from the marathon or anything suspicious they might have witnessed, such as hearing someone express an interest in explosives or a desire to attack the marathon, or seeing someone carrying a dark heavy bag at the race.

“Someone knows who did this,” the FBI agent said.

FBI agents searched an apartment in the Boston suburb of Revere. According to one law enforcement official, the tenant had been tackled by a bystander, then police, as he ran from the scene of the explosions. But the man may simply have been running away to protect himself, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release details of the investigation.

The bombs exploded 10 or more seconds apart, tearing off victims’ limbs and spattering streets with blood, instantly turning the festive race into a hellish scene of confusion, horror and heroics.

The blasts killed 8-year-old Martin Richard of Boston, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell of Massachusetts, and a third victim whose name has not been released.

Graduate student 3rd victim

Boston University said a graduate student at the school was the third victim. In a statement late Tuesday afternoon, the school said it was not releasing the name or any other information about the student, pending permission from the family.

The statement said the student was with two friends who were watching the race at the finish line, not far from the university’s campus. One of the friends, also a grad student at the university, was injured and is at Boston Medical Center in stable condition.

Doctors who treated the wounded corroborated reports that the bombs were packed with shrapnel intended to cause mayhem.

“One of the sickest things for me was just to see nails sticking out of a little girl’s body,” said Dr. David Mooney, director of the trauma center at Boston Children’s Hospital.

At Massachusetts General Hospital, all four amputations performed there were above the knee, with no hope of saving more of the legs, said Dr. George Velmahos, chief of trauma surgery.

“It wasn’t a hard decision to make,” he said. “We just completed the ugly job that the bomb did.”

Security stepped up

In the wake of the attack, security was stepped up around the White House and across the US Police massed at federal buildings and transit centers in Washington, critical response teams deployed in New York City, and security officers with bomb-sniffing dogs spread through Chicago’s Union Station.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano urged Americans “to be vigilant and to listen to directions from state and local officials.” But she said there was no evidence the bombings were part of a wider plot.

Pressure-cooker explosives have been used in Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a July 2010 intelligence report by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department. One of the three devices used in the May 2010 Times Square attempted bombing was a pressure cooker, the report said.

Investigators said they have not yet determined what was used to set off the Boston explosives. Typically, these bombs have an initiator, switch and explosive charge, according to a 2004 warning from Homeland Security.

“We will go to the ends of the Earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this despicable crime, and we will do everything we can to bring them to justice,” the FBI’s DesLauriers said.

Pressure-cooker explosives have been used in international terrorism, and have been recommended for lone-wolf operatives by Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen. But information on how to make the bombs is readily found online, and US officials said Americans should not rush to judgment in linking the attack to overseas terrorists.

Pakistan Taliban denies

The Pakistani Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the 2010 attempt in Times Square, has denied any part in the Boston Marathon attack.

Al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen gave a detailed description of how to make a bomb using a pressure cooker in a 2010 issue of Inspire, its English-language online publication aimed at would-be terrorists acting alone.

In a chapter titled “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom,” it says “the pressurized cooker is the most effective method” for making a simple bomb, and it provides directions.

Naser Jason Abdo, a former U.S. soldier, was sentenced to life in prison last year after being convicted of planning to use a pair of bombs made from pressure cookers in an attack on a Texas restaurant frequented by soldiers from nearby Fort Hood. He was found with the Inspire article.

Investigators are combing surveillance tapes and pictures from the Boston attack and appealing to the public to turn over personal photos and video that might yield clues.

“This is probably one of the most photographed areas in the country yesterday,” said Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. He said two security sweeps of the marathon route had been conducted before the bombing.

Boston police and firefighter unions announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to arrests.

Clueless

Obama said officials do not know who carried out the attack or why—”whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization, foreign or domestic, or was the act of a malevolent individual.”

But he said “any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror.” And he declared: “The American people refuse to be terrorized.”

Obama plans to travel to Boston on Thursday for an interfaith service, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said.—Eileen Sullivan

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

US will find out who carried out Boston explosions -Obama

President Barack Obama vowed on Monday that the United States will find out who carried out explosions in Boston and will hold them accountable, and a White House official said the twin blasts are being treated as an "act of terror."

"We still do not know who did this or why, and people shouldn't jump to conclusions before we have all the facts," Obama said in a televised statement. "But make no mistake, we will get to the bottom of this, and we will find out who did this, we'll find out why they did this."

Obama did not call the explosions an attack and emphasized that much was not known about them. But a White House official said any event with multiple explosive devices, as the Boston episode appeared to be, "is clearly an act of terror, and will be approached as an act of terror."

"However, we don't yet know who carried out this attack, and a thorough investigation will have to determine whether it was planned and carried out by a terrorist group, foreign or domestic," the official said.

The Boston explosions put the White House on edge with the Secret Service raising security around the executive mansion. Obama said he has directed the federal government to increase security around the United States as necessary after the explosions.

The blasts offered a fresh challenge to Obama, who early in his second term has been focused on domestic agenda topics such as gun control, immigration and budget deficits.

Obama quickly shifted into a national security mode as soon as he was told about the Boston blasts at 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT).

He called Boston Mayor Tom Menino and Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and offered federal assistance. Obama was briefed by FBI Director Bob Mueller and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"We will find out who did this and we will hold them accountable," Obama said.

He called Boston a tough and resilient town.

"I'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together, take care of each other and move forward as one proud city, and as they do, the American people will be with them every single step of the way," he said.

Separately, Vice President Joe Biden, in a telephone conference call about proposals to tighten gun laws, offered his prayers as he reacted to images he saw on television from Boston.

"As I'm speaking here, they just turned on the television here in my office. Apparently there has been a bombing. I don't know any of the details about what caused it, who did it. I don't think it exists yet," Biden said.

"But our prayers are with those people in Boston who have suffered injury. I don't know how many of them there are. I'm still looking at it on television now," he said.

Biden was speaking off the cuff and did not appear to have any independent knowledge of what caused the explosions. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Eric Walsh and Eric Beech)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Celebs pray for Boston bombing victims

MANILA, Philippines - Local celebrities turned to microblogging site Twitter to express sadness over the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

On Tuesday via Twitter, stars including Anne Curtis, Ruffa Gutierrez and Gary Valenciano expressed their disbelief and sent their prayers to all the victims of the bombing.

Below are the tweets of some celebrities:

Gary Valenciano
"My heart and my prayers go out to the people of Boston ❤"
"Does anything really change or is any problem really solved with an act as ruthless, heartless, and as evil as what happened in Boston?

Anne Curtis
"Woke up to the dreadful news of the Boston Marathon :( So sad."
"I'll never really understand what goes on in these people heads for them to do something so horrible to innocent people. :( "

Karylle
"catching up on the news now. watching @CNN. no words. #Pray4Boston"

Carol Banawa
"Praying for all the victims of the explosions at the #bostonmarathon."

Iya Villania
"Just heard about the Boston marathon :( terrible terrible news... My heart goes out to all those affected :( #catchthebast*#ds"

Ruffa Gutierrez
"Woke up to terrible news about the explosions. My thoughts and prayers are with the people from Boston & everyone affected by this tragedy."

Paolo Valenciano
"Horrible news to wake up to. #prayforboston"

Joey Javier Reyes
"@tomas_md I am saddened by the news of the violence in Boston. Not that this is anything new ... but nonetheless, disgusting & appalling!"

Matteo Guidicelli
"Reading updates on the boston marathon.Can't believe someone could do such a thing. Lets all pray for everyone in Boston.#prayersforboston"

Candy Pangilinan
"Prayers for boston...."

Maja Salvador
"#PrayforBoston pic.twitter.com/vq2Povcvof"

Maxene Magalona
"Deeply saddened by the bombings that took place in Boston. So many innocent lives destroyed by yet another act of terrorism. #PrayForBoston"

Zsa Zsa Padilla
"Such horrific news"

Jim Paredes
"Madness and mayhem. Let us pray for everyone hurt or killed in the Boston terrorist attack."

Raymond Gutierrez
"Woke up to tragic news. Bombing a marathon's finish line & a library? Such forces of good. We truly live in a crazy world. #prayforboston"

Sitti Navarro
"Saddened by news of the Boston marathon bombings..."

Jed Madela
"#PrayForBoston http://instagram.com/p/YJlSEkleKt/"

Aiko Melendez
Lets see what tues will bring for me... Sad news for Boston. Pls pray for them...

Janine Mari Tugonon
"Just read the news bout Boston bombing. Praying for them."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Triumph turns to terror as blasts hit Boston Marathon

BOSTON - Joe Anderson had just crossed the finish line of Monday's Boston Marathon when he heard the blasts that killed two people, wounded dozens and terrified thousands of spectators and athletes.

The first blast, which blew out the window of a store near the end of the race course at around 2:50 p.m.(1850 GMT), stunned the throng of people who had gathered in Copley Square for the race's finale. A few seconds later, a second blast sent waves of fear and horror through the crowd.

"I saw multiple injuries. I saw people who looked like they had their legs blown off. There was a lot of blood over their legs," said Anderson, a 33-year-old fisherman from Pembroke, Massachusetts, who had carried an American flag for the 26.2-mile (42.16 km) length of the race.

The flag was still draped over his shoulder later on Monday afternoon, as he slowly walked away from Massachusetts General Hospital, where many of the wounded were being treated.

"Fly that flag high," a bystander shouted. For Americans, the blasts called to mind the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which destroyed the World Trade Center in New York and damaged the Pentagon in Washington.

The blasts came about 2-1/2 hours after the winners crossed the finish line, but more than 5,700 amateur runners remained out on the course at the time.

"They stopped us half a mile away from the finish line," said Christine Haverly, 20, a Boston College student from Erie, Pennsylvania. "They just said two bombs went off, but they didn't go into details about anything. We were standing there for like half an hour."

Runners crossing the line could be seen hitting the stop buttons on their watches just as the first explosion blew out the windows of a sporting-goods store along the course, spraying glass into the crowd.

"All the runners just stopped," said Kathleen Earley, a 26-year-old teacher from Boston, who was about a mile from the finish line when the blast occurred.

"I was just hoping my friends and family were OK," she said. Her mother, Rita, had come to the finish to cheer her daughter and emerged from a subway station just minutes before the first blast.

"Right away it seemed like something was really wrong, just looking at people's faces," the 61-year-old biologist said. "It was sort of reminiscent of 9/11 because everyone's on their cell phones, everybody wants information."

The marathon is run on Patriots' Day, a Massachusetts state holiday when some offices close, while students at the state's schools had just begun a week's vacation, helping to swell the crowds along the race route.

"We just ran for our lives," said Laura Peterson, 18, who had gone to the finish to cheer her mother, Bridget, who she later reunited with. "I was just waiting for another bomb to come down and hit me."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com