Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: Boston Marathon Bomber To Speak At Formal Sentencing, Death Penalty Expected

Dzhokar Tsarnaev, better known as the Boston Marathon Bomber, is returning to court on Wednesday morning.

There he will be formally sentenced for his role in planting bombs that injured nearly 300 people during the 2013 Boston Marathon.

Informally, he was given the death penalty for his role in the act of terrorism on American soil. He is expected to be formally sentenced to death during the formal sentencing. In addition to be sentenced, Tsarnaev is expected to have the opportunity to speak out about his crimes and express apologies for his actions and regret for taking part in the terrorist attack.

Holly Bailey with Yahoo News reported that Tsarnaev told his lawyer that he was ‘sorry’ for the crime he committed. In addition, a well respected Catholic nun had the opportunity to speak with him and testified that he was remorseful for his actions and wished he would have made a better choice than he did on that day in 2013. During the Boston Marathon, three people were killed form the bomb blasts and nearly 300 were injured in total.

Tsarnaev is now 21 years old is expected to hear from friends and family of 20 victims prior to being formally sentenced to his role in the Boston bombing. Each is expected to address Tsarnaev directly, sharing their impact statements with him to convey the impact his actions had on many people. Once the friends are family are finished, Tsarnaev will have the opportunity to respond and speak back to the courtroom.

Tsarnaev has been rather quiet during his federal terrorism trial, so it is unsure if he will actual speak up when his turn comes around. However, there is speculation that he will address the courtroom and convey his condolences and apologize for his actions.

Not all of Tsarnaev’s convictions allow for the death penalty. As a result, he was given life in prison on those charges, largely due to his lack of remorse during the trial, according to the Boston Globe. However, the convictions that allowed the death penalty to be given, Tsarnaev received the sentence of death.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers attempted to convince the jury that the death penalty was too harsh and that other mitigating factors should be considered in the sentencing process. However, the jury referred back to Tsarnaev’s lack of compassion during the trial and refused to waiver on their decision.

[Photo Courtesy: Boston Globe]