Boston Bombing Suspect Guilty: Azamat Tazhayakov Trial Verdict Reached
Azamat Tazhayakov, a friend of the Boston bombing suspect, is guilty of obstruction of justice, according to the jury in his case. The charges alleged that he had hindered the investigation into the Boston Marathon bombing as authorities looked into his friend Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
The Boston Globe shares that the jury in Tazhayakov’s case deliberated for about 15 hours over the course of three days. He was convicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. He could be sentenced for up to five years on the conspiracy charge, and the obstruction of justice charge could land him up to 20 years in prison.
The verdict that the Boston bombing suspect’s friend is guilty provides the first conviction related to the April 15, 2013 bombing. Tazhayakov is said to have helped remove several items from Tsarnaev’s dorm room after the bombings as authorities closed in on the Tsaranaev brothers. Tazhayakov was found not guilty of a charge related to a laptop computer. The charges the jury found him guilty of are related to a thumb drive, a jar of Vaseline, and a backpack that had fireworks in it.
Tazhayakov and his roommate, Dias Kadyrbayev, are said to have entered Tsarnaev’s room on April 18, 2013 after the two bombing suspects’ photos had been shared publicly by the FBI. Prosecutors say that Kadyrbayev orchestrated removing the items, but that Tazhayakov knew what was happening and helped protect Tsarnaev. The defense said that he didn’t know what Kadyrbayev was doing and was cooperative with authorities when questioned. The two sides painted very different pictures of the 20-year-old, but the jury clearly believed what the prosecutors put forth for the most part.
Three of Tsarnaev’s friends are facing charges that they interfered with the investigation. Kadyrbayev’s trial is slated to begin in September, and the third friend, Robel Phillipos, is facing charges that he lied to authorities about his whereabouts on April 18, 2013. He was allegedly at Tsarnaev’s dorm room at the time as well. There is a separate case involving Khairullozon Matanov, who is alleged to have destroyed evidence related to the bombings.
As for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, his trial is slated to begin in November. As CBS News notes, three died in the Boston Marathon bombing and more than 260 were injured. As the friend of the Boston bombing suspect’s guilty verdicts were read, his mother sobbed and rocked in her seat while Azamat Tazhayakov put his hands over his face. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on October 16.
