The jury in the Boston Marathon bombing trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev reached a verdict, Wednesday afternoon, finding him guilty on all 30 counts, 17 of which potentially carry the death penalty.
Jury has reached a verdict in Tsarnaev case — U.S. Attorney MA (@DMAnews1) April 8, 2015
The 30 counts included the likes of use of a weapon of mass destruction, bombing a place of public use resulting in death, malicious destruction of property, and carjacking, among others.
During opening statements, Tsarnaev’s defense team admitted that he did, in fact, detonate a pressure cooker bomb near the Boston Marathon finish line despite a formal plea of not guilty. Their argument was centered around the idea that yes, he committed the crime but did so while acting under the influence of his manipulative older brother Tamleran.
This strategy, more than anything, is aimed at sparing Tsarnaev from capital punishment. Seventeen of the charges he faced are punishable by death.
Ultimately, it didn’t even really matter if Tsarnaev’s brother was the sole perpetrator of the crimes. Besides the three counts of conspiracy, Tsarnaev was charged with aiding and abetting for every other charge meaning that even if it was Tamerlan who built and detonated the bombs, put three bullets in MIT Police Officer Sean Collier’s brain and engaged in gunfire with authorities, Tsarnaev is equally culpable if he had knowledge of the aforementioned.
Now that the jury has reached a verdict, courtroom proceedings will move into the sentencing phase of the trial. During this time, legal teams for both sides will present their cases for whether or not the remainder of Dzhokhar’s life should be lived out in prison or if he should be put to death.
The sentencing phase could begin as soon as the early part of next week, Judge George O’Toole toward the courtroom before calling a recess after the verdicts were read.
Here are the jury’s verdicts on the first 10 charges, all of which potentially carry the death penalty.
Count 1: Guilty of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, resulting in the deaths of:
Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Officer Sean Collier, Yes.
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 2: Guilty of use of a weapon of mass destruction (pressure cooker bomb #1, Marathon Sports) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the conspiracy charged in count two resulted in the death of:
Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Count 3: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #1) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely count two, and aiding and abetting.
Whether the firearm in count three was discharged, Yes.
Whether the firearm was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of Krystle Marie Campbell through the use of the firearm and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted, Yes.
Count 4: Guilty of use of a weapon of mass destruction (pressure cooker #2, Forum restaurant) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count four resulted in the deaths of:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 5: Guilty of use or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #2) in relation to count four.
Whether the firearm charged in count five was discharged, Yes.
Whether the firearm charged in count 5 was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether the offense charged in count five resulted in the deaths ofm and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 6: Guilty of conspiracy to bomb a place of public use.
Whether the conspiracy charged in count six resulted in at least one of the four deaths of:
Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Officer Sean Collier, Yes.
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 7: Guilty of bombing a place of public use (pressure cooker #1) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count sevenr esulted in the death of:
Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Count 8: Guilty of use or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #1) during and in relation to the bombing of a public place.
Whether the firearm charged in count eight was discharged, Yes.
Whether the firearm charged in count eight was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of Krystle Marie Campbell through the use of the firearm, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted, Yes.
Count 9: Guilty of bombing a place of public use (presure cooker #2) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count nine resulted in the death of at least one of the two deaths of:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 10: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #2) in relation to the bombing of a place of public use as charged in count nine.
Whether the firearm charged in count ten was discharged, Yes.
Whether the firearm charged in count ten was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of one of the two deaths of, through the use of the firearm, and the killing was a murder, or aided an abetted:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Here are the remaining counts, only some of which potentially carry the death penalty.
Count 11: Guilty of conspiracy to maliciously destroy property.
Whether the conspiracy charged in count 11 resulted in at least one of the four deaths of:
Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Officer Sean Collier, Yes.
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 12: Guilty of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive (pressure cooker #1) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count 12 resulted in the personal injury to at least one person, Yes.
Whether the offense charged in count 12 resulted in the death of Krystle Marie Campbell, Yes.
Count 13: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #1) in relation to malicious destruction of property as charged in count 12.
Whether the firearm charged in count 13 was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether it was discharged, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of Krystle Marie Campbell, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted, Yes.
Count 14: Guilty of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive (pressure cooker #2) and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count 14 resulted in personal injury, Yes.
Whether the offense charged in count 14 resulted in at least one of the two deaths of:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 15: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (pressure cooker #2) in relation to a crime of malicious destruction of property as charged in count 14.
Whether the firearm charged in count 14 was a destructive device, Yes.
Whether the firearm was discharged, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of one of the two persons alleged in count 15, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted another in causing the death of one of the two persons alleged in count 15, and the killing was a murder, of:
Lingzi Lu, Yes.
Martin Richard, Yes.
Count 16: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger P95 9mm semiautomatic handgun) in relation to a crime of violence, namely, conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction as charged in count one, and aiding and abetting.
Whether the firearm charged in count 16 (Ruger pistol) was discharged, Yes.
Whether the defendant caused the death of Officer Sean Collier, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted, Yes.
Count 17: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger pistol) during and in relation to conspiracy to bomb a place of public use as charged in count six, and aided and abetted.
Whether the firearm charged in count 17 was discharged, Yes.
Whether the defendant, in the course of committing the violation charged in count 17, caused the death of Officer Sean Collier, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted another in causing the death of Officer Collier, and that killing was a murder, Yes.
Count 18: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger pistol) during and in relation to conspiracy to maliciously destroy property as charged in count 11, and aided and abetted.
Whether the firearm charged in count 18 was discharged, Yes.
Whether, in the course of committing the violation charged in count 18, caused the death of Officer Sean Collier, and the killing was a murder, or aided and abetted in causing the death of Officer Sean Collier, and that killing was a murder, Yes.
Count 19: Guilty of carjacking and aiding and abetting.
Whether the offense charged in count 19 resulted in serious bodily injury to Officer Richard Donahue, Yes.
Count 20: Guilty of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger pistol) during and in relation to carjacking as charged in count 19, and aiding and abetting.
Whether the firearm charged in count 20 was brandished, Yes.
Count 21: Guilty of interference with commerce by threats or violence.
Count 22: Guilty of carrying a firearm (Ruger pistol) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, interference with commerce by threats and violence as charged in count 21, and aiding and abetting.
Whether the firearm charged in count 22 was brandished, Yes.
Count 23: Guilty of using a weapon of mass destruction (pressure cooker #3) in the vicinity of Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, and aiding and abetting.
Count 24: Of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger pistol AND pressure cooker bomb #3) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, a weapon of mass destruction, as charged in count 23:
As to the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun, Guilty.
As to pressure cooker #3, Yes.
Whether the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun charged in count 24 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pressure cooker #3 charged in count 24 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pressure cooker #3 was a destructive device, Yes.
Count 25: Guilty of using a weapon of mass destruction (pipe bomb #1) in the vicinity of Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, and aiding an abetting.
Count 26: Of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun and pipe bomb #1) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, use of a weapon of mass destruction as charged in count 25, and aiding and abetting:
As to the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun, Guilty.
As to pipe bomb #1, Guilty.
Whether the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun charged in count 25 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pipe bomb #1 charged in count 25 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pipe bomb #1 was a destructive device, Yes.
Count 27: Guilty of using a weapon of mass destruction (pipe bomb #2) in the vicinity of Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, and aiding and abetting.
Count 28: Of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun and pipe bomb #2) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, use of a weapon of mass destruction as charged in count 27, and aiding and abetting:
As to the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun, Guilty.
As to pipe bomb #2, Guilty.
Whether the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun charged in count 28 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pipe bomb #2 charged in count 28 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pipe bomb #2 was a destructive device, Yes.
Count 29: Guilty of using a weapon of mass destruction (pipe bomb #3) in the vicinity of Laurel Street and Dexter Avenue in Watertown, Massachusetts, and aiding and abetting.
Count 30: Of using or carrying a firearm (Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun and pipe bomb #3) during and in relation to a crime of violence, namely, use of a weapon of mass destruction as charged in count 29, and aiding and abetting:
As to the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun, Guilty.
As to pipe bomb #3, Guilty.
Whether pipe bomb #3 charged in count 30 was brandished, Yes.
Whether the Ruger P95 semiautomatic handgun charged in count 30 was discharged, Yes.
Whether pipe bomb #3 was a destructive device, Yes.
