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 Tsarnaev, a 21-year-old ethnic Chechen, early this month was found
guilty of killing three people and injuring 264 in one of the
highest-profile attacks on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001, as well
as fatally shooting a police officer.
During the initial stage of his trial, prosecutors portrayed him as
an extremist who wanted to "punish America" for military campaigns
in Muslim-dominated countries and followed a blueprint from al
Qaeda's "Inspire" magazine to build the homemade pressure-cooker
bombs that ripped through crowds of spectators, volunteers and
athletes on April 15, 2013.
Defense lawyers have countered that Tsarnaev, 19 at the time of the
attack, was adrift and following the lead of his 26-year-old
brother, Tamerlan, who died after a gunfight with police four days
after the bombing.
 One of his lead attorneys, Judith Clarke, opened the trial with the
blunt admission "it was him," Tsarnaev, who committed all the crimes
he was charged with. But she closed the guilt phase by arguing that,
when it came to planning the attack and building the bombs,
"Tamerlan did that."
In a sharp contrast to the last phase of the trial, when the defense
took just two days to call four witnesses, the court has scheduled
about two weeks worth of testimony as Tsarnaev's lawyers make the
case to spare his life.
Few details are known about who defense lawyers will call to testify
as all witness lists in this trial have been filed under seal. On
Thursday, local media reported that some members of Tsarnaev's
family arrived in Boston.
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It is not clear exactly what members of his family traveled to
Boston or if they will testify or simply observe the proceedings.
Another unanswered question is whether Tsarnaev will speak in his
own defense. He has been a quiet presence during the trial, offering
no signs of emotion as the jury heard sometimes tearful testimony
from survivors and viewed graphic, disturbing images of the bombs'
detonation and aftermath.
Martin Richard, 8, Chinese exchange student Lu Lingzi, 23, and
restaurant manager Krystle Campbell, 29, died in the bombing. The
Tsarnaev brothers shot dead Massachusetts Institute of Technology
police officer Sean Collier three days later.
(Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Andrew Hay)
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