Boston Marathon bomber convicted, due to be sentenced

A federal jury Wednesday found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty of 30 counts, including use of a weapon of mass destruction, related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing which left three dead and at least 260 injured.

The question now centers on whether Tsarnaev, who perpetrated the crime with his older brother Tamerlan, will receive the death penalty. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police in the days following the bombing.

The jury, which deliberated the case for almost two days before handing down the guilty verdict, will require a unanimous vote for a death sentence to be handed down. The sentencing phase of the trial could begin as early as next week.

Tsarnaev’s defense team is likely to ask that the jury consider the influence the 21-year-old’s older brother had over him in executing the attack when making their decision, according to Bloomberg Business.

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