Should Boston Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Get The Chair? Death Row Counselor Claims Tsarnaev “Genuinely Sorry”

LONG ISLAND, NY  – The 21 year old who was associated with the Boston Marathon Bombing  is being sentenced to the death penalty after a court appearance on May 14, 2015. The jury sentenced Tsarnaev to die on counts 4, 5, 9, 10, 14 and 15. He was found guilty on all 30 charges in the trial.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21 showed up to court last month showing no empathy for the lives he’s taken away and the families he tore apart back in 2015.

There are mixed feelings inside the courtroom about the judge’s verdict. Survivor’s and families had the courage to hold back their tears and speak about the unfortunate event at a news conference which followed right after the sentencing.

Karen Brassard, who survived the bombing said, “It feels like we can take a breath and kind of, actually, breathe again.” She added “ There’s nothing happy about having to take somebody’s life. I’m satisfied and grateful that they came to that conclusion because for me, I think, it was just the conclusion.”

Both Liz Norden along with Brassard agreed that there is a bittersweet feeling since both agree they’re receiving some closure after losing so much.

 Three people were killed when explosives from a pressure cooker went off at the Boston Marathon back in 2013 including a police officer who was shot during the manhunt. Victims will be honored and remembered. From left Krystle Campbell, Sean Collier, Lingzi Lu and Martin Richard. Photo: CNN.

Norden included, “There’s no winner today, but I feel justice for my family.” She feels relieved after learning about Tsarnaev ‘s sentencing, almost as if a burden was lifted off her shoulders. Norden has to suffer everyday as she watchs both her two sons put on artificial legs every morning.

Survivor Karen Brassard said, “I know there is still a long road ahead  but right now it feels like we can take a breath. Once the verdict came in it was like, ‘Ok, we can start from here and go forward and really feel like it’s behind us.’ There’s nothing happy about having to take somebody’s life,” released in a statement including reactions to Tsarnaev’s death penalty by the NPR.

The jurors came to a conclusion to Tsarnaev’s verdict due to the lack of remorse he had in the courtroom. The very speedy decision by the jury surprised many people; they put together a detailed worksheet where all the factors for and against the death penalty were taken account for.

“Today the jury has spoken. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will pay for his crimes with his life,” said U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz last month.

Critics are now claiming that Dzhokhar was only following what his brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26  told  him to do. He was brainwashed by his bother and he should face penalties for the Boston bombing, but should not be sentenced to death because he was not the one who was in charge of these heinous acts.

Sister Helen Prejean, a Roman Catholic Nun who is famous for counseling the condemned on death row spoke with Tsarnaev and stated that she believed he was “genuinely sorry” for the pain and suffering he inflicted on his victims.

According to CNN, Prejean, who is an opponent of the death penalty, had five meetings with Tsarnaev and researched a lot about his background and Islam religion. When she asked him how he felt about the three spectators who were killed in the blast, which included two woman and an eight year old boy, he responded with pain in his voice “No one deserves to suffer like they did; he then proceeded to lower his eyes and head when he spoke about his victims.

“I had every reason to think he was taking it in and genuinely sorry for what he did, Prejean said. “The groundwork and the trust was there. And I knew. I felt it.”

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 21 has been sentenced to the death penalty for his acts during the Boston Bombing Massacre, but are some opposing the court ruling? His death sentence will be the first imposed since the 9/11 era. Very few federal convicts actually lose their lives because of the time required for the death penalty trial to be proceeded. Credit: CBC News

Bill and Denise Richards lost their 8 year old son in the gruesome bombing. The past two years have been the hardest ones of their life. They have a big void in their lives because they don’t have the ability to watch their child grow, like most parents do.  “The past two years have been the most trying of our lives. Our family has grieved, buried our young son, battled injuries, and endured numerous surgeries — all while trying to rebuild lives that will never be the same,” said Bill and Denise in an article by the Boston Globe.

After losing their son Martin, you would assume they want the worst for Tsarnaev. Surprisingly, they are not in favor of the death sentence, the verdict decided for him last month. The family prefers for Tsarnaev to be sentenced to life in prison rather than sit on death row for years. Cases that involve a death penalty have the possibility to take years to be processed, according to cases similar in nature. Anyone would assume, that every time a case such as this is brought up again, all families involved will relive the pain and suffering they went through in 2013.

“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,” said Bill and Denise in their own words.

The crimes that  Dzhokhar and his brother committed will never be lived down. They tore a community apart and ruined many families lives. With one already dead, the despicable acts lay on the shoulders of the young 21 year old. If the court rules against the death penalty, Tsarnaev will live his life in regret and remorse and emotionally face the realization of what he did. While being responsible for his actions, along with his brothers, he will never be forgiven and only deserves to be punished for tearing apart the country.

Do you believe that Tsarnaev should face a life behind bars, only to wake up every day with the burden of knowing he’s tore so many families  apart? Or, should he be faced with his own death in an “eye for an eye” approach to lose his life, just like his victims did? What is the proper punishment for this crime??

If  you want to be updated on the events inside the courtroom you can follow WBUR’s live Twitter which is tweeting the verdict and more as it happens.

This article is specifically written in a way that is not biased or single sided in an effort to include your opinion in this debate. Please play a role in this debate and include your opinion after reading this with any knowledge you may have on this ongoing trial. The trail has concluded with the sentencing phase still underway.