Journalists discuss the daily twists and turns of the trial from their base at the federal courthouse, and provide their sharp insights and analysis.
Tsarnaev Apologizes Before Judge Sentences Him To Death
More than a month after the jury returned a verdict of death for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, all the raw wounds were ripped open again, with victim impact statements. And we were once again reminded of the pain and suffering caused by Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan. Today, Judge George O’Toole officially carried out the jury’s verdict, a verdict he couldn’t change, and sentenced Tsarnaev to death by execution. But before the judge did that, we heard from Dzhokhar himself, who asked Allah for forgiveness. …
6/24/2015 • 16 minutes, 19 seconds
What's Next For Tsarnaev After The Verdict
Two years and a month after bombs exploded on the Boston Marathon finish line, becoming the biggest terrorist attack in America since 9/ll, a federal jury delivered a verdict of death to the convicted bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. After more than 4 months of trial, 154 witnesses, and no more than 15 hours of deliberations, jurors chose not life in prison without the possibility of parole, but six sentences of death. In the final episode until official sentencing, Boeri and Cullen look back over the entire trial, and look ahead to what's next …
5/18/2015 • 15 minutes, 9 seconds
Day 33: The Death Penalty For Tsarnaev
The death penalty. That's what 12 jurors quickly and unanimously decided is the just punishment for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for his role in the Boston Marathon bombings. The verdict appears a rejection of the defense's case that Tsarnaev was brainwashed by his radicalized older brother Tamerlan, or the assertion he is remorseful for what he did. Boeri and Cullen discuss the tense day in court.
5/16/2015 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds
Day 31: After Closings, Tsarnaev's Life In Jurors' Hands
The fate of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev--his life or death--is now in the hands of 12 jurors. In Day 31, the jury began deliberating, after hearing closing statements. Boeri and Cullen cover the defense's closing, which continued to hammer home that Dzhokhar's older brother Tamerlan was the lead on the attacks, and that a life sentence for Tsarnaev would serve as both "justice and mercy." And they discuss the government's closing, which said Tsarnaev's actions--the killing of four and the maiming of dozens more--have earned him death.
5/14/2015 • 13 minutes, 16 seconds
Day 30: Tsarnaev Feels Remorse For Victims, Says Nun
For the first time in this federal death penalty case the jury got some insight into what Dzhokhar Tsarnaev thought of his Boston Marathon bombing victims. "No one deserves to suffer like they did," Tsarnaev said to Sister Helen Prejean, a prominent opponent of the death penalty, according to her testimony. Prejean revealed that she has met with the defendant five times while he has been in detention. In Day 30, Boeri and Cullen discuss Sister Prejean's testimony, the end of the defense's case in the penalty phase, and the …
5/11/2015 • 13 minutes, 59 seconds
Day 29: 'Dead Man Walking' Nun Could Close Defense Case
It was an early day for jurors in the federal death penalty case of convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. In Day 29, Boeri and Cullen cover the testimony of a former prison warden and the reason why court ended early--the possible testimony of Sister Helen Prejean, a prominent opponent of capital punishment.
5/7/2015 • 11 minutes, 48 seconds
Day 28: Tsarnaev's Defense Tries Several Angles As Case Nears End
The defense for convicted Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has started to wrap up its case, tying up lose ends in the sentencing phase of the federal death penalty trial against him. Today, in Day 28, Boeri and Cullen discuss the testimony from a relative in Kazakhstan, adolescent brain development, and the supermax prison where--if spared the death penalty--Tsarnaev could spend the rest of his life.
5/7/2015 • 14 minutes, 41 seconds
Day 27: Defense Turns To Chechen History
The defense for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been presenting the jury with a social history of his family. Today, in Day 27, the defense turned the focus to their ethnic homeland of Chechnya. Boeri and Cullen discuss how the long history of the Chechen people influenced the psychiatric well-being of Dzhokhar's father, and how his older brother Tamerlan became unhinged and abusive.
5/6/2015 • 14 minutes, 20 seconds
Day 26: Tsarnaev's Relatives Bring Him To Tears
All throughout the federal death penalty trial of convicted Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a key question has been: Will the defense succeed in making him into a sympathetic figure, and in doing so perhaps save his life? After months of sobering testimony, and virtually no sign of emotion or remorse from the defendant, that seemed like an impossible challenge. Boeri and Cullen discuss Day 26, in which that changed and Dzhokhar was moved to tears for the first time, just by seeing and hearing the testimony of some of …
5/5/2015 • 13 minutes, 18 seconds
Day 25: Old Friends And Teachers Remember Tsarnaev As 'Kind'
In the days after the FBI identified Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan as suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings, there was a near universal reaction from anyone who had known Dzhokhar -- shock and disbelief -- saying it couldn't be. In Day 25 of the trial against Tsarnaev, Boeri and Cullen discuss an emotional day as the jury finally heard stories from former friends and teachers, painting a picture of a good kid -- lost -- and under the spell of his radicalized older brother.
4/30/2015 • 13 minutes, 20 seconds
Day 24: Defense Focuses On Tsarnaev's Brother, Sister-In-Law
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev sat expressionless and nearly motionless next to his attorneys, just as he has done during every other day of the federal death penalty case against him. But listening to his defense team, it seemed like he wasn't even in the room, let alone the person on trial. In Day 24, Boeri and Cullen discuss the second day of defense testimony in the penalty phase, which was all about Tamerlan -- Dzhokhar's older, now dead brother -- and his wife Katherine.
4/28/2015 • 12 minutes, 55 seconds
Day 23: Tsarnaev Defense Promises 'No Martyrdom' In Life Sentence
"We've now seen more pain, and more horror, and more grief in this courtroom than any of you would have thought possible." That’s how attorneys today for convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev opened as they began their defense in the sentencing phase of the trial against him. In Day 23, Boeri and Cullen discuss the defense's goal to shift the focus--from all that pain and horror--to putting Tsarnaev’s crimes into context and convincing just one juror that he should serve life in prison over death.
4/28/2015 • 13 minutes, 48 seconds
Day 22: The Prosecution Rests In Penalty Phase
Three days into the sentencing phase in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the government has rested its case. In Day 22, Boeri and Cullen discuss the prosecution's decision to end on a chilling but moving story from a father who lost a leg in the marathon bombings, and who witnessed the final moments of eight-year-old Martin Richard's life.
4/23/2015 • 13 minutes, 32 seconds
Day 21: The Curious Subject Of Tsarnaev's Middle Finger
In the second day of the penalty phase in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the jury listened to bittersweet memories shared by family members whose loved ones died at the hands of the Tsarnaev brothers. It all built on the government's case that Tsarnaev's crimes were heinous, cruel, and depraved, and thus warrant the death penalty. In Day 21, Boeri and Cullen discuss that devastating testimony, and the defense's entry of new video evidence - which called into question the meaning behind a shocking image introduced by the prosecution, showing …
4/23/2015 • 13 minutes, 34 seconds
Day 20: Penalty Phase Of Tsarnaev Trial Begins
At the start of the second phase in the trial against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the prosecution began to make the case that he deserves the death penalty. In Day 20, Boeri and Cullen discuss the opening statements, the powerful victim testimony, and the effect of some victims publicly calling for life in prison over death might have on the case.
4/22/2015 • 13 minutes, 29 seconds
What To Expect In The Second Phase Of Tsarnaev Trial
Two years ago today, two bombs exploded near the Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street, killing three and injuring more than 260 others. Last week, the jury found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty on all 30 charges against him. On the anniversary of the bombing, the trial is on a break between the guilt and sentencing phases, and Boeri and Cullen look ahead to what we can expect next.
4/15/2015 • 16 minutes, 4 seconds
Day 19: Tsarnaev Found Guilty On All Counts
It comes as no surprise that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been found guilty of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. After 11 hours of deliberations over two days, the jurors found Tsarnaev guilty on all 30 counts against him, and many more sub-counts. Boeri and Cullen react to the verdict and look ahead to what's coming: the decision on whether Tsarnaev should be punished by death.
4/8/2015 • 10 minutes, 33 seconds
Day 18: A Look At The Tsarnaev Jury
Twelve jurors, selected from a pool of more than 1,300, were sequestered in a room today to review the 30 charges against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. In Day 18, the first full day of deliberations in the guilt phase, Boeri and Cullen discuss who the jurors are, and how their life experiences and perspectives might affect Tsarnaev's fate in this death penalty trial.
4/7/2015 • 12 minutes, 56 seconds
Day 17: Tsarnaev's Guilt Now In Jurors' Hands
The guilt of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is now in the hands of a jury. After 16 days of testimony, 95 witnesses and piles of evidence, the 12 jurors will now deliberate on the 30 charges against him. On Day 17, Boeri and Cullen discuss the closing statements by the prosecution and the defense. The government closed with a highlight reel of graphic images from the bombing. And the defense closed by acting as if they were the prosecutors of Dzhokhar's dead older brother, Tamerlan.
4/7/2015 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Day 16: Tsarnaev's Defense Team Rests
After 15 days of testimony from witnesses for the prosecution, attorneys for admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev began to present their case yesterday afternoon. A day and two hours later, the defense rests, having called just four witnesses to the stand. Boeri and Cullen discuss Day 16 and the defense's limited focus in this phase of the trial - on portraying Dzhokhar as following the lead of his older brother Tamerlan.
3/31/2015 • 12 minutes, 22 seconds
Day 15: Prosecution Concludes With Detailing Of 8-Year-Old's Death
Prosecutors have spent the last month presenting some haunting evidence against admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, which seems to go beyond what the government needs to do to convict him and begins to build the case that he should be sentenced to death. Boeri and Cullen discuss Day 15 of the trial, in which the government called its final witness to tell the jury of the horrific death of 8-year-old Martin Richard near the finish line.
3/31/2015 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
Day 14: How The Marathon Bombs Were Built
The enduring images from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing are of mass carnage - of innocent people with their limbs blown off by two pressure-cooker bombs placed near the finish line. Boeri and Cullen discuss Day 14 in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, when the prosecution demonstrated that those bombs were intended to cause maximum death and destruction.
3/27/2015 • 11 minutes, 17 seconds
Day 13: Tsarnaev's Texts And Other Digital Data
Every time you send a text message, swipe a credit card, use a GPS system or go into a public building, you leave a digital record of your activities. And if you're 19 years old, those records are likely to be extensive. Boeri and Cullen review the data dump the prosecution unloaded on Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his deceased older brother, Tamerlan, in Day 13 of the trial.
3/26/2015 • 12 minutes
Day 12: The Evidence Piles Up Against Tsarnaev
Less than a month before the Marathon bombing, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev rented two 9mm handguns for target practice at a shooting range in New Hampshire. The weapons were the same caliber as the gun used to kill an MIT police officer three days after the bombings. Boeri and Cullen discuss the evidence that continued to pile up against Dzhokhar in Day 12 of the trial.
3/25/2015 • 10 minutes, 34 seconds
Day 11: Global Jihad And The Radicalization Of Tsarnaev
The prosecution and defense agree - Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was involved in the bombing at the Boston Marathon, the killing of MIT police officer Sean Collier, and the shootout with police in Watertown. So on Day 11, the prosecution posed this question to its expert witness: what turns a seemingly average teenager from Cambridge into a violent radical, intent on and capable of deadly acts of terrorism? Boeri and Cullen discuss the evidence presented.
3/24/2015 • 12 minutes, 6 seconds
Day 10: A First Look At Tsarnaev's Digital Trail
In the government's case against admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, they want to prove that he is a radical jihadi, and that's why he planted a bomb near the finish line in April 2013. Boeri and Cullen discuss Day 10 of the trial and the digital trail Tsarnaev left behind, presented by the prosecution as evidence of his radicalization.
3/19/2015 • 10 minutes, 46 seconds
Day 9: The Bloody Gloves And Other Evidence
As moving and emotional as the stories in this trial have been, the successful prosecution of a criminal in a death penalty case depends not just on testimony, but on physical evidence. In Day 9, the prosecution turned its focus to some of that evidence - including two bloody gloves.
3/19/2015 • 11 minutes, 15 seconds
Day 8: Tsarnaev's Friend Turns Against Him
Any hope the defense has of saving Tsarnaev's life is in convincing the jury that he was just a deadbeat, pot-smoking college student, under the sway of his older brother Tamerlan, the real jihadi. A demonstration of what they're up against - say Boeri and Cullen - came in Day 8 of the trial, with the first testimony from one of Tsarnaev's old friends, Stephen Silva.
3/17/2015 • 13 minutes, 15 seconds
Day 7: The Shootout In Watertown
Three days after the Boston Marathon bombing, authorities searched the city in an epic manhunt for the Tsarnaev brothers. That led to a shootout in the Boston suburb of Watertown, the death of the older brother, Tamerlan, and the capture of his younger brother, Dzhokhar. Boeri and Cullen recount the chaos of that shootout and the aftermath - the focus of testimony in Day 7 of the trial.
3/17/2015 • 13 minutes, 5 seconds
Days 5 & 6: The Fourth Murder And A Carjacking Victim's Harrowing Account
When we talk about the Marathon bombing, we talk about the three people who were killed that day. But there was a fourth murder, three days later - of an MIT police officer. In Week 2, the trial turned to that shooting and the carjacking that followed. Boeri and Cullen recap the testimony of the carjack victim, who gave a riveting account of his hours as a captive of the Tsarnaev brothers.
3/12/2015 • 14 minutes, 7 seconds
Days 3 & 4: Why Tsarnaev's Tweets Matter
In the second week of the trial, attention in the courtroom has turned from what happened to why. Boeri and Cullen discuss the defense's focus on Tsarnaev's Twitter feed, and on a nine-minute surveillance video showing Dzhokhar and his older brother Tamerlan walking down Boylston Street on Marathon Day — and why Tamerlan appearing to lead the way could be so meaningful.
3/10/2015 • 12 minutes, 20 seconds
Day 2: Icons Of The Bombing Take The Stand
The iconic photo from the Boston Marathon bombing is a determined man in a cowboy hat pushing a young man in a wheelchair whose legs have been blasted off. That young man took the stand as testimony continued in Day 2 of the Tsarnaev trial. Boeri and Cullen react to that testimony, and that of Bill Richard, the father of 8-year-old Martin, who was killed in the attacks.
3/6/2015 • 10 minutes, 13 seconds
What To Expect In The Tsarnaev Trial
As the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev opens, Boeri and Cullen talk about the defense's concerns over jury bias, with the trial being held in Boston, and what changed when this became a federal death penalty case. They also look ahead - to what could be the most explosive moments of the trial.