Martin Richard, aged 8, was out with his parents enjoying a day at the Boston Marathon when convicted bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev planted a bomb along the end of the route. Richard was killed in the terrorist bomb, his sister maimed, and his parents left to struggle to resemble their lives. The Richard's story is not unlike the other countless victims that were directly affected by this evil.
Tsarnaev was convicted of all 30 charges against him, which also includes the death penalty.
Martin's parents, Bill and Denise wrote to the court urging them to give Tsarnaev life in prison without the possibility of appeals or parole. They reasoned that they should never have to relieve the horror of recounting the death of their son for decades to come. Bill and Denise both appeared in court at the trial.
Martin's parents, Bill and Denise wrote to the court urging them to give Tsarnaev life in prison without the possibility of appeals or parole. They reasoned that they should never have to relieve the horror of recounting the death of their son for decades to come. Bill and Denise both appeared in court at the trial.
But now that the tireless and committed prosecution team has ensured that justice will be served, we urge the Department of Justice to bring the case to a close. We are in favor of and would support the Department of Justice in taking the death penalty off the table in exchange for the defendant spending the rest of his life in prison without any possibility of release and waiving all of his rights to appeal.
We understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed. We were there. We lived it. The defendant murdered our 8-year-old son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter, and stole part of our soul. We know that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives. We hope our two remaining children do not have to grow up with the lingering, painful reminder of what the defendant took from them, which years of appeals would undoubtedly bring.
Sentence hearings are set to begin on April 21st. The 2015 annual Boston Marathon will be hosted on April 20, 2015.
Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal