The Dzhokhar Tsarnaev trial reached a verdict Wednesday when a federal jury found the 21-year-old guilty on all 30 counts stemming from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing that killed three people and wounded more than 260.
The verdict was expected following Tsarnaev's lawyer's admission that the former college student
took part in the bombing, The Associated Press reported. Tsarnaev could face death or life in prison, something that will be decided at sentencing.
The defense argued that Tsarnaev was recruited by his older brother, Tamerlan, who masterminded the crime. Prosecutors portrayed the brothers as partners. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died after being shot by police during a firefight days after the bombing.
The same jury of seven women and five men will determine sentencing in the case, which could
begin next week, The Boston Herald reported.
Among the charges Tsarnaev was convicted of are the murders of restaurant manager Krystle Marie Campbell, 29; Boston University graduate student Lingzi Lu, 23; and Martin Richard, 8. He also was convicted of murder in the death of MIT Police Officer Sean Collier three days later.
Tsarnaev swayed slightly on his feet as the verdict was read, but showed no reaction, The Boston Herald said.
The attack is considered the worst act of terrorism on American soil since 9/11, and was reportedly carried out in retaliation for American-led wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, The New York Times reported.
In seeking to spare Tsarnaev’s life, the defense hopes to cast him as a misguided adolescent and less culpable than his older brother.
“We don’t deny that Jahar fully participated in the events,” his attorney said during closing arguments. “But if not for Tamerlan, it would not have happened.”
Twitter users responded to the verdict.