The trial for Boston marathon bomber suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev re-opened on Wednesday and according to the lawyer representing the suspect, he admitted that it was indeed him who was responsible for the twin bombing.
The bombing in 2013 resulted to 260 people being injured and three people being killed. However, Defense lawyer Judy Clarke pleaded that the brother of Tsarnaev, identified as Tamerlan, was the mastermind of the attack.
Clarke noted that although Tsarnaev did say that he was the one who dropped the bag where the bomb was where a group of children were, Tsarnaev was only misgusided by his brother Tamerlan as he carried out the bombing plan. Tamerlan was reportedly obsessed with extremism being promoted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and that he even went to Russia to experience extremism for six months.
Tsarnaev was influenced by his brother because he was older and it was part of their culture that older people have control over their decisions and also followed Tamerlan's steps towards radicalization.
Tamerlan was killed four days after the bombing due to an encounter with the police. Tsarnaev did not turn himself over to the authorities but he was found hiding in a boat located in Watertown.
Also, Clarke defends her client saying that the words "U.S. is responsible for the suffering of Muslims" was scribbled on the boat where he was found and that this was a statement possibly told by his brother in order to brainwash him.
The trial was attended by family members of the victims and some of the victims themselves. According to USA Today, U.S. Attorney William Weinreb described the scene as gory and cowardly because the bombers targeted children when the bombs were detonated near the finish line.
Weinreb adds that 21-year-old Tsarnaev believes the United States government is at war with the Muslim people thus the motive behind committing the crime. Tsarnaev is to be charged with 30 charges linked to the blasts and most of the charges equates to a death penalty.
According to BBC, the trial could last up to four months and he will either be sentenced to death of spend the rest of his life in prison.