The body of Boston marathon bombing suspect, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, will be claimed by his family, an uncle confirmed to the Associated Press Tuesday (April 30). The body has remained in a medical examiners office following the shootout that ended the suspected terrorist’s life.
It is unclear if funeral services have been planned.
Tamerlan, 26, exchanged gunfire with authorities until he ran out of ammunition during a standoff two weeks ago. His brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is said to have used his dead body as a shield, and fled the scene.
A daylong manhunt uncovered the wounded 19-year-old hiding in a boat. He was taken to a local hospital where he was charged for the attack.
The defense team representing the college student has just added San Diego attorney Judy Clarke, known for getting sentences reduced from the death penalty to life in prison. Clarke previously represented high profile criminals like the Unabomber, and Jared Lee Loughner–the Arizona gunman who shot Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
Miriam Conrad, the public defender representing Dzhokhar, was denied a request to bring on another death penalty lawyer, David Bruck, who is also a professor at Washington and Lee Unviersity School of Law.
As the investigation moves forward, authorities are looking into female DNA found on a fragment of the explosives, which may implicate Tamerlan’s wife, Katherine Russell.
Russell denied having any knowledge of the accused bomber’s plan. U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that they have traveled to the 24-year-old’s home to collect a DNA sample.
She is not a suspect in the plot and has been fully cooperating, according to her attorney.
—
Photo: AP/CBS
