“Tsarnaev was and is unrepentant, uncaring and untouched by the havoc and sorrow that he has created,” US federal prosecutor Nadine Pellegrini was quoted as saying by KFOR News Channel 4. “He was willing to cross every line for glory and reward.”
Pellegrini is attempting to convince the jury that Tsarnaev’s crimes, which range from murder to use of a weapon of mass destruction, should be punishable by death, according to local media.
On April 8, 2015, the Boston jury convicted Tsarnaev of all 30 counts for his role in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. The death penalty applies to 17 of the charges.
The sentencing trial began with opening statements by the prosecution, followed by witness testimony of individuals who were injured in the 2013 bombings.
“I, unfortunately, remember every single detail — from being thrown into the air, to choking on thick black smoke, to hearing blood-curdling screams,” Celeste Corcoran, who was near the blast and lost both of her legs, told the jury, according to media reports.
After the prosecution witnesses present their testimony, the defense will have an opportunity to present its case to keep Tsarnaev alive. During the recent trial, Tsarnaev’s lawyers called four witnesses compared to the 92 witnesses called by the prosecution.
