Martin Richard, 8, was one of three people killed in the explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
APRIL 17, 2015
Parents of Boston Marathon bomb victim want death penalty 'off the table' for killer
The parents of Martin Richard, who was just 8-years-old when his life was ended in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, are asking that the death penalty be “taken off the table” for his killer Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.
In an open letter published Friday in the Boston Globe, Bill and Denise Richard urged the Justice Department to bring the case to a close and have Tsarnaev, convicted in the deaths of three bomb victims as well as the killing of an MIT police officer and numerous other counts, waive all his rights to appeal and spend the rest of his life in prison.
“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,” the parents wrote.
However, the couple went on to say, the continued pursuit of the death penalty would bring years of appeal and prolong their pain and that of their children as they are forced to relive the horror in the many years appeals would surely bring.
“As long as the defendant is in the spotlight, we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours. The minute the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family.”
Tsarnaev, 21, was found guilty April 8 of 30 charges in the explosion that rocked Boston and also left almost 300 people injured.
In the heartfelt letter, the parents implored readers to not let the marathon bombing be defined by the heinous actions of the Tsarnaevs but rather “the resiliency of the human spirit and the rallying cries of this great city.”
“We honor those who were lost and wish continued strength for all those who were injured,” the letter concludes. “We believe that now is the time to turn the page, end the anguish, and look toward a better future — for us, for Boston, and for the country.”
Tsarnaev is scheduled to be sentenced, by the same jury who found him guilty, during the penalty phase of the trial which is scheduled to start April 21. At least 17 of the charges he was convicted of carry the threat of death.
Just this Wednesday, April 15, the boy's family attended the unveiling of a memorial honoring victims and survivors at one of two blast sites near the finish line of the storied run.
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