Tsarnaev Indicted on Federal Charges, Could Face Death Penalty

Dzhokar Tsarnaev, one of the men who allegedly killed four people and injured hundreds of others in the Boston marathon bombing and the days afterward, was indicted on 30 federal charges, including conspiracy to use weapon of mass destruction to cause death, and he could eventually face life in prison or the death penalty, according to US Attorney Carmen Ortiz. 

In a press conference on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Ortiz outlined some of the federal charges pressed against Tsarnaev, including conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, bombing resulting in death, use of a firearm causing death, carjacking, and more. 

The indictment also details part of what was written on a note found in the boat where Tsarnaev was found in Watertown on the night of April 19th. 

According to the indictment, the note said "The U.S. government is killing our innocent civilians," "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 [unintelligible] it is allowed;' and "Stop killing our innocent people and we will stop."

Ortiz said the note provides some light into the motivation behind the attack.

"They took these acts as an explanation in some ways that they were hoping to affect U.S. foreign policy, and also as a measure of protest against what they viewed as actions by the US in foreign countries," she said. 

Ortiz said that Tsarnaev could face the death penalty or life in prison for the federal charges, but said the final decision resides with US Attorney General Eric Holder. 

"Our office provides information on the case and there are a number of different levels of review," she said. "We obtain input from the familes of victims and provide a recommendation to the attorney general. Once he makes a decision, then we will annouce it," she said. 

Thursday's indictments were the result of a two-month long investigation by the This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Boston Division, Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, and member agencies of the Boston Joint Terrorism Task Force, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority and others, including the Watertown Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department, the MIT Police Department, the Boston Fire Department, and the National Guard.