Jury in Boston Marathon Bombing Trial Sees Photos of Writing in Boat

Jury in Boston bombing trial sees photos of writing in boat

By Denise Lavoie, Associated PressTuesday, March 10, 2015 | 3:53 p.m.

BOSTON — Jurors in the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on Tuesday saw photographs of a blood-stained, hand-scrawled note speckled with bullet holes inside the boat he was captured in days after the deadly 2013 attack.

Prosecutors consider the note a confession and say it refers to the motive for the attack carried out by Tsarnaev and his late brother, Tamerlan.

In the note, written in pencil on the walls of the boat, Tsarnaev appears to decry U.S. actions in Muslim countries and says he is jealous of his brother because he is dead and now in paradise.

This undated forensics photograph made by the FBI, provided by the U.S. Attorney’s office and presented as evidence during the federal death penalty trial of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Tuesday, March 10, 2015, in Boston, shows handwriting on the bullet-riddled, blood-stained wall of a boat. The prosecution presented the photo as evidence of the handwritten note found inside the boat where Tsarnaev was captured April 19, 2013 in Watertown, Mass., four days after the bombings.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died following a violent confrontation with police during a getaway attempt four days after the bombings. Dzhokzar, then 19, was found hiding in a boat parked in a yard in Watertown. 

"I do not mourn because his soul is very much alive. God has a plan for each person. Mine was to hide in this boat and shed some light on our actions," he wrote. 

The note also said: "The U.S. Government is killing our innocent civilians but most of you already know that. As a M (bullet hole) I can't stand to see such evil go unpunished, we Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all. ..." 

"Now I don't like killing innocent people it is forbidden in Islam but due to said (bullet hole) it is allowed." 

Judge George O'Toole Jr. is still trying to decide whether to allow prosecutors to cut out and bring to court the panels of the boat to show jurors or whether to bring the intact boat to the courthouse to be viewed outside by the jury, as requested by the defense. 

The judge ended court early Tuesday so he could see the boat, accompanied by representatives of the prosecution and defense. 

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured April 15, 2013, when two bombs exploded near the marathon finish line. 

During opening statements at his trial, Tsarnaev's lawyer admitted he participated in the bombings but said Tamerlan Tsarnaev was the mastermind. 

Todd Brown, a Boston police bomb technician, testified that he saw the writing when he was sent to check the boat to make sure no explosives or booby traps were on board. 

During cross-examination, Tsarnaev's lawyers established that all the bullet holes were from shots coming into the boat when police fired. The officer said no bombs, guns or weapons were found inside the boat.