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 Tsarnaev, 21, is the surviving member of pair of ethnic Chechen
brothers who planted the homemade pressure-cooker bombs that tore
through the crowd at the famed race's finish line in one of the most
shocking attacks on U.S. soil since Sept. 11, 2001. He left a note
behind describing the attack as an act of retribution for U.S.
military campaigns in Muslim-dominated countries.
His lawyers opened Tsarnaev's federal trial in Boston a month ago by
bluntly admitting "it was him" who planted one of the bombs on April
15, 2013 and three days later shot dead a police officer, kicking
off a day of chaos in Boston.
After 11 hours of deliberations over two days, the jury found him
guilty of all 30 criminal counts he faced.
The slightly built, lightly goateed defendant stood silently,
shifting uncomfortably as a U.S. District court official read out
each guilty finding, a process that took 25 minutes.
The courtroom was packed with survivors of the attack including the
parents of 8-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest fatality, and law
enforcement officials, including former Boston Police Commissioner
Ed Davis.
 After the verdict was read, Karen Brassard, whose left leg was badly
injured by one of the bombs, said she was glad that Tsarnaev had
shown no emotion.
"Personally I wouldn't have bought it if he had," Brassard said, as
an early-spring sleet fell over Boston's waterfront. "He has been,
to use my word, arrogant walking in and out of the courtroom."
The blasts killed restaurant manager Krystle Campbell, 29, Chinese
exchange student Lingzi Lu, 23, and Richard. Tsarnaev also was found
guilty of the fatal shooting of Massachusetts of Institute of
Technology police officer Sean Collier, 26.
LIFE OR DEATH?
With Tsarnaev's guilt established, the trial now moves into a second
phase where prosecutors and defense attorneys will call another
round of witnesses. The jury will decide whether to sentence him to
death or life in prison without possibility of parole. That phase
begins next week.
Tsarnaev's lawyers have indicated that they plan to show that his
26-year-old brother Tamerlan was the driving force behind the
attack, a contention they hope will persuade the jury to spare his
life.
In a stark contrast to defense attorney Judith Clarke's
opening-statement admission of Tsarnaev's guilt in placing the
bombs, she turned her attention during last week's closing argument
to the making of the bombs.
"Tamerlan did that," Clarke said, contending that without the older
brother there would have been no attack. Tamerlan died early on
April 19, 2013, after Dzhokhar ran him over with a car while fleeing
a gunfight with police.
The amount of time spent in the jury room suggests the jurors were
thorough in considering the charges, said David Weinstein, an
attorney in private practice who in prior jobs as a state and local
prosecutor brought death-penalty cases.
"If this was a fait accompli, they would have been out in the amount
of time it takes to shuffle through 30 pieces of paper," Weinstein
said. "Sentencing deliberations are likely to take longer.
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Federal prosecutors detailed jihadi writings, including a copy of al
Qaeda's "Inspire" magazine with an article on bomb-making found on
of Tsarnaev's computers, describing that as evidence that he was an
extremist who wanted to "punish America."
"We are gratified by the jury's verdict," said Carmen Ortiz, U.S.
attorney for Massachusetts, who oversaw the prosecution. "As we
enter this next phase, we are focused on the work that remains to be
done."
DARK MEMORIES FOR BOSTON
The trial, which began in early March after a two-month jury
selection process, dredged up some of the worst memories in living
memory in Boston. The twin pressure-cooker bombs ripped through the
crowd of spectators at the race's finish line, setting off a mad
rush to save the hundreds of people wounded, 17 of whom lost limbs.
Three days later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released
images of the Tsarnaev brothers, saying they were the suspected
bombers and seeking information on their identities. That set the
stage for 24 hours of chaos as the duo fatally shot Collier in an
unsuccessful attempt to steal his gun and went on to carjack a
Chinese entrepreneur before police found them in the suburb of
Watertown.
The pair fought a desperate gunfight with police, throwing a smaller
pressure-cooker bomb similar to the ones they used at the race, as
well as smaller pipe bombs. When Tamerlan Tsarnaev ran out of
bullets in the rusty Ruger handgun his brother had borrowed from a
drug-dealing friend, he charged Watertown police officers who were
trying to wrestle him to the ground. Dzhokhar then hopped into the
carjacked Mercedes SUV and sped toward the group, running over his
brother and dragging him.
The city's mayor, Marty Walsh, said he was glad to see the trial
moving toward a conclusion.
"I am thankful that this phase of the trial has come to an end and
am hopeful for a swift sentencing process," Walsh said. "I hope
today’s verdict provides a small amount of closure for the
survivors, families, and all impacted by the violent and tragic
events."
(Additional reporting by Tim McLaughlin; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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