2014 news: Holder: Tsarnaev's crimes compel the decision

Thursday 30 January 2014

Holder: Tsarnaev's crimes compel the decision

Attorney General Eric Holder says federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty

"The nature of the conduct...and the resultant harm compel this decision," he says

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is charged with 30 federal counts; he's pleaded not guilty

(CNN) -- Federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Thursday afternoon.

Authorities allege Tsarnaev, a Chechnya-born American, and his brother Tamerlan planted two homemade bombs near the finish line of the April 15 race, killing three and injuring more than 250.

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer was killed three days later, triggering the massive manhunt that led to Tsarnaev's capture. His brother was shot and killed by police during the manhunt.

"The nature of the conduct at issue and the resultant harm compel this decision," Holder said in a statement released by the Justice Department.

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Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, identified as Suspect 2, was captured in a Boston suburb on April 19 after a manhunt that shut down the city.

From left, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev went with Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to Times Square in this photo taken from the social media site VK.com. A federal grand jury charged Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev with obstructing justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice on Thursday, August 8. Both had been arrested and charged in May, but only with the conspiracy count. See all photography related to the Boston bombings.

Robel Phillipos, a U.S. citizen, was also arrested on May 1. He was charged with lying to federal agents about the bombing, according to court papers.

Phillipos, Tazhayakov and Kadyrbayev are accused of removing items from Tsarnaev's dorm room after the April 15 bombings. The items they took included a backpack containing fireworks that had been "opened and emptied of powder," according to the affidavit.

Kadybayev, left, poses with Dzhokhar Tsamaev in a picture taken from the social media site VK.com.

The FBI released photos and video on April 18 of two men identified as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2 in the deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon. They were later identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, and his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26.

Police say the dead suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is the man the FBI identified as Suspect 1. He was killed during the shootout with police in Watertown, Massachusetts, early April 19. He is pictured here at the 2010 New England Golden Gloves.

Boston Police released surveillance images of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev at a convenience store on April 19.

The FBI tweeted this photo on April 19 and urged Watertown residents to stay indoors as they searched for the second suspect.

The FBI released photos and video on April 18 of two men it called suspects in the deadly bombings and pleaded for public help in identifying them. The men were photographed walking together near the finish line.

A man identified as Suspect 2 appeared in this photograph by bystander David Green, who took the photo after completing the Boston Marathon. Green submitted the photo to the FBI, he told Piers Morgan in an interview.

The man identified as Suspect 2 appears in a tighter crop of David Green's photo.

Authorities later identified Suspect 1 as Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Suspect 2 was identified as Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Suspect 1 walks through the crowd.

Both suspects are seen walking through the crowd.

Suspect 2 walks through the crowd.

A photo released by the FBI highlights Suspect 2.

Suspect 2 walks through the crowd. See all photography related to the Boston bombings.

Suspects tied to Boston bombings

Photos: Suspects tied to Boston bombings

The backlash over Rolling Stone's cover photo of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev led to the release of new photos by Sgt. Sean Murphy on Thursday, July 18, of his capture. The images show Tsarnaev as he emerges from the boat where he hid, his face smeared with blood and multiple snipers' lasers fixed on him. View more photos from the aftermath of the Boston bombing.

Tsarnaev was found in a motorboat dry-docked in the backyard of a Watertown, Massachusetts, home on April 19, covered in blood from bullet wounds sustained during a manhunt that brought Boston to a standstill.

"This guy is evil," Murphy said. "This is the real Boston bomber. Not someone fluffed and buffed for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine."

Tsarnaev exits the boat during his capture. The pictures were taken by Murphy and published online by Boston Magazine on July 18.

Police tend to Tsarnaev after his detainment. He is awaiting trial for his role in the bombings, which killed three people and wounded more than 260 on April 15.

The arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Photos: The arrest of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

CNN obtained these images from Andrew Kitzenberg of the gunbattle early Friday, April 19, between police and the suspects in the Boston bombings. View more photos related to the terror attack in Boston.

CNN obtained these images from Andrew Kitzenberg of the gunbattle early Friday, April 19, between police and the suspects in the Boston bombings. This photo shows the two suspects behind a car shooting toward police, Kitzenberg said. View more photos related to the terror attack in Boston.

CNN obtained these images from Andrew Kitzenberg of the gunbattle early Friday, April 19, between police and the suspects in the Boston bombings This image shows police farther up Laurel Street firing toward the suspects, Kitzenberg said. View more photos related to the terror attack in Boston.

Images of Watertown shootout

Gallery: Watertown shootout

After Holder made his decision, prosecutors filed Thursday a notice with a federal court that they would seek the death penalty in the case, according to Carmen Ortiz, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is charged with 30 federal counts stemming from the attack. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Since taking office, Holder has sought the death penalty in dozens of cases, but at lower rate than his recent predecessors, officials and death-penalty watchers say.

Despite Holder's decision to authorize the death penalty in the Tsarnaev case, prosecutors still could reach an agreement with his attorneys, who include death penalty lawyer Judy Clarke, to plead guilty and receive life in prison or another sentence.

Boston Marathon terror attack timeline

Holder issued a memo in 2011 that forbids using the death penalty threat to obtain guilty pleas. But that doesn't prohibit plea deals coming after the attorney general's recommendation.

Federal officials weighed a number of factors before they announced their decision, including the opinions of victims of the deadly attack.

Survivors were asked to fill out a questionnaire about what they thought about the death penalty.

Reached before federal authorities announced their decision to seek the death penalty, Zubeidat Tsarnaev, the suspect's mother, did not comment on the specifics of the case.

"The only thing I want to say is, I want the whole world to hear that I love my son, my precious Dzhokhar. That's it," she told CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

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CNN's Evan Perez and Susan Candiotti contributed to this report.

2014 news

Thursday 30 January 2014

Holder: Tsarnaev's crimes compel the decision

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