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Tag: boston marathon

  • Boston Marathon Featured New Kids On The Block, Marriage Proposal

    Boston Marathon stories are popping up all over the web today after a successful race on Monday, but two of those stories are a bit unexpected.

    The race had America glued to the television last year after news broke that bombs had gone off, and this year the security was heavily tightened. The threat of more violence didn’t deter runners this year, however, as a near-record 35,660 people signed up to take part. Included in that number were two familiar faces: Joe McIntyre and Danny Wood of New Kids On The Block.

    The duo proudly finished the race and tweeted to their fans afterward, with fellow New Kid Donnie Wahlberg giving updates on the social media site during the run.

    The horrific events of last year were at the front of everyone’s minds this time around, but Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick ensured those in attendance that every precaution was taken to keep them safe, including bans on bags, glass bottles, and large containers of any kind.

    “We’re very alert. We’re very prepared, and we’re assuring people as much as we can that it’ll be a fun day and a safe one,” he said.

    The day was more about showing Boston pride than about fear, however, and at least one runner decided to commemorate the day by ending it on a sweet note. Gregory Picklesimer dropped to one knee after finishing the race and proposed to his girlfriend, later saying, “After last year I realized the people you love can be taken away from you.”

    Image via YouTube

  • American Meb Keflezighi Wins Boston Marathon

    An American man has won the Boston Marathon for the first time in more than 30 years.

    Meb Keflezighi, a 38-year-old immigrant from war-torn Eritrea, finished Monday’s race in an unofficial time of 2:08:37.

    The last time an American won the men’s race was in 1983 when Greg Meyer won and the last time an American woman has won was in 1985 when Lisa Larsen Weidenback came in first.

    Rita Jeptoo of Kenya won Monday’s women’s race in 2:18:57, a new course record.

    This isn’t the first time Keflezighi has brought marathon glory back to the United States. In 2009, Keflezighi was the first American man to win the New York City Marathon since Alberto Salazar won in 1982.

    Keflezighi – pronounced ka-FLEZ-ghee – and his family came to the U.S. in the mid-1980s after fleeing their native Asmara, Eritrea. They settled in Italy for a short time before making their way to San Diego.

    More than 30,000 racers started the Boston Marathon on Monday morning under tight security following last year’s bombing which killed three and injured hundreds of others.

    Boston remains strong despite the attack. Nearly 36,000 signed up to run the race – 9,000 more than usual – to show support and defiance.

    And the bombing did nothing to deter on-lookers this year. A record crowd of one million people – twice the usual number – was expected to watch.

    Image via YouTube

  • Boston Marathon: Spirits High Amid Added Security

    Individuals from around the world arrived in Boston, Mass. in recent days to both pay their respects to the victims of last year’s tragic Boston Marathon Bombings and to take part in this year’s event.

    The fact that nearly ten thousand more people signed up for this year’s race is indicative of the spirit of the Boston Marathon.

    While the increase in the number of participants and spectators suggests a strong will to move beyond the horrors of last year, some worry that the larger crowd will make it difficult on law enforcement officials.

    Authorities have added new security measures to the Boston Marathon meant to avoid any copycat bombings.

    The success of these adjustments has yet to be determined, leaving some nervous about whether steps taken by officials will be enough to prevent any major incidents.

    Officials are confident that their security measures will significantly cut down on the danger.

    For instance, there are 100 cameras installed along the Boston city portion of the marathon. Officials also state that they have banned backpacks of any kind from the course. There will be eyes and ears near the final stretch, all cautiously observing any suspicious activities or behaviors.

    The Boston Athletic Association, which is the body responsible for organizing the marathon, has requested that everyone leave their handbags and backpacks at home in order to make things easier.

    Unregistered participants are not allowed to “jump into” the race this year, even if it is a well meaning gesture of support for the event and its participants.

    Said the BAA, “We are aware that many people want to participate in some way in this year’s Boston Marathon as a display of support, but we ask that those who are not official participants to refrain from entering the course for the safety of the runners and themselves.”

    It didn’t help the nerves of locals and participants when a man was arrested on the night of the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombings in what authorities have declared a hoax.

    Some worry that tasteless individuals will attempt to damper the spirits of supporters with feigned terrorist threats before or during the Boston Marathon.

    Not only would these actions be thoughtless and cruel, they could distract from genuine threats.

    All that can be hoped is that the added measures will keep participants and supporters of this year’s race safe from any kind of disturbance.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Joe Biden Sparks Outrage With Boston Marathon Speech

    The first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing was today, and Vice President Joe Biden appeared at the memorial ceremony to deliver a speech. While most of Biden’s speech went smoothly, he hit a bump in the road at one point left many people shocked and outraged.

    An estimated 3,000 people attended the Boston Marathon Memorial today, including survivors, family of the three people that lost their lives, and first responders. Several people spoke at the memorial ceremony, including former Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and Vice President Joe Biden.

    When it was Biden’s turn to speak, he told the crowd, “Even though I’m not a Boston fan, I love you guys, man.” No problem there, but then the vice president followed that up with telling the survivors, “My God, you have survived and you have soared…it was worth it. I mean this sincerely, just to hear each of you speak.” The “it was worth it” remark there sparked confusion and outrage on Twitter.

    Check out Biden’s speech at the Boston Marathon Memorial below. Skip to the 0:54 mark to hear the offending comment.

    A lot of people either missed or are ignoring the “I mean this sincerely, just to hear you speak” part of the comment and are assuming that Joe Biden means that it was a good thing the tragedy happened. Admittedly, Biden has made his share of blunders as vice president, but it’s probably safe to assume that he was telling the victims he was glad he made the trip to Boston to hear what they had to say. Judging from the reaction from the crowd, they didn’t take Biden’s comments in a negative way, so that’s something, at least.

    Fortunately, the rest of Biden’s speech went fine and nothing else he had to say contributed to further Twitter outrage:

    Next Monday, on Patriots’ Day, when I’m told up to 36,000 people will line up to start the marathon, you will send a resounding message around the world not just to rest of the world, but to the terrorists that we will never yield. We will never cower. America will never, ever, ever stand down. We are Boston. We are America. We respond. We endure. We overcome. And we own the finish line.

    The 2014 Boston Marathon will be held Monday, April 21. Hear from two runners that participated in the Boston Marathon last year in the video below.

    Image via YouTube

  • Glenn Beck Faces Defamation Lawsuit by Boston Marathon Victim

    Political commentator Glenn Beck is being sued for defaming a Saudi Arabian man injured during the Boston Marathon bombings last April 2013.

    The bombing, which took the lives of three people and injured more than 200 event-goers, was said to be the doing of two brothers from Russia.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, was detained, charged with 30 federal charges, and currently awaits trial in November. If convicted he may face the death penalty.

    His accomplice and older brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev, died in a shootout with police officers four days following the bombings.

    Yet, Beck claimed at the time that there was a third perpetrator who was “the money man” behind the attack.

    Twenty-year-old Abdulrahman Alharbi-a college student in the Boston area-was attending the event near the marathon’s finish line when the bombs were detonated.

    FBI investigators later interrogated Alharbi and searched his home, but officials determined that he had nothing to do with the attack.

    However, Alharbi came under further persecution and this time the accusations were done publicly.

    Alharbi accuses Beck for intentionally causing harm to his reputation during a live segment on TheBlaze TV.

    On April 22, just seven days following the Boston Marathon bombings, Beck asserted that the whole attack was a cover-up and that Alharbi was involved.

    View the segment here:

    “The government has not come clean nor has really any of the mainstream media,” he said. “The government is out and out lying to you. They are engaging in a disinformation campaign to discredit and destroy.”

    According to the defamation lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Friday, Beck “repeatedly and falsely identified Mr. Alharbi as an active participant in the crimes that were committed on April 15, 2013, repeatedly questioned the motives of federal officials in failing to pursue or detain Alharbi and repeatedly and falsely accused Mr. Alharbi of being a criminal who had funded the attacks at the Boston Marathon.”

    Alharbi also states that Beck identified him as a murderer, terrorist, and the brains behind the bombings.

    The lawsuit will seek unspecified damages and lawyer fees from Beck and his network.

    Beck’s reps have yet to respond to the lawsuit.

    Image via YouTube

  • Boston Bombing Suspect Could Face Death Penalty

     U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Thursday that the government will seek the death penalty in the case of the United States vs. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The 20-year-old Tsarnaev is a suspect in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings that killed 3 people and wounded over 260 others. Law enforcement allege Tsarnaev, a Chechnya-born American, planted two pressure cooker bombs near the finish line of the race with his brother.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who is currently being held in federal prison, pleaded not guilty of committing the crimes with his older brother Tamerlan. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police just days after the bombing.

    Liz Noren expressed relief when she heard the U.S. Attorney General’s decision to seek the death penalty. Noren’s two sons, JP and Paul, each lost a leg in the tragic bombing incident. “It’s important to me. I’m trying to make sense of what happened that day,” she said, “My boys went to watch a friend run the marathon, and one came home 46 days later. The other one, 32 days later.” Noren says she plans to sit in on the trial every day once it gets underway. “I just am relieved that it’s going forward in the right direction, one step forward in the recovery process,” she added.

    Zubeidat Tsarnaeva, the mother of  Tsarnaev, is also disheartened by the announcement. “How can I feel about this? I feel nothing,” Zubeidat Tsarnaeva said in Russian. “I can tell you one thing, that I love my son. I will always feel proud of him. And I keep loving him.

    Shortly after the bombing occurred Zubeidat Tsarnaeva was reported to have said that she did not believe her sons were responsible for the bombing and that they were framed by the U.S. government.

    Massachusetts got rid of the the death penalty 30 years ago, but federal law permits the penalty in certain circumstances. Given the serious nature of the crime, the Attorney General’s office decided to move forward with the request.

    Image via YouTube

  • Woman Fired for Boston Marathon Costume [IMAGE]

    Woman Fired for Boston Marathon Costume [IMAGE]

    Yes, Halloween has been over for four days. No, there isn’t any shortage of awful costumes that are making headlines. This costume might not be quite as offensive as the Trayvon Martin costume that outraged many people, but it’s close. Really close. A Michigan woman, Alicia Ann Lynch, came under fire after posting a photo of her tasteless costume on Twitter–she went as a Boston Marathon bombing victim.

    Not only did the 22-year-old woman think that dressing as a Boston Marathon victim was a good idea, she wore the costume to work. According to BuzzFeed, Lynch has since lost her job. Check out the costume Lynch posted to her Twitter account below. The account, @SomeSkankinMI (yes, that’s her real handle) has since been suspended, but once it’s on the Internet, forever it stays, right?

    (image)

    The smiling young woman is dressed as a marathon runner, complete with open wounds and blood trickling down her legs. Lynch received a flurry of Twitter posts condemning her costume, as should be expected. Post your thoughts below.

    Things went downhill for Lynch after one enterprising Twitter poster discovered that the young woman had posted a copy of her driver’s license on her profile, complete with her home address. After that, someone else found some nude photos and videos containing Lynch on Tumblr, which they quickly circulated.

    NY Daily News managed to get a screen capture of some posts made from Lynch’s account regarding the costume before her account was suspended:

    (image)

    Once Lynch’s private information was made public, she says that she has received death threats for her costume choice. “I’ve had voicemails where they want to slit my throat and they want to hang me and tear off my face,” Lynch said. “I’m just like, I don’t even know how to respond to this right now.”

    Lynch’s parents are also receiving threats. Lynch said that someone told her parents “they’re going to blow up her house and hang her child.” Lynch feels really bad for her parents because they had nothing to do with her Boston Marathon bombing victim costume. “My family didn’t know what I was doing. I don’t live with them. And they’re all getting dragged into this for something I did.”

    While the young woman did apologize, she still doesn’t think what she did was that bad. “Honestly, it’s the Day of the Dead,” she says. “I wasn’t a dead person, I wasn’t being disrespectful. I was a survivor of a marathon. And it’s not like I was walking around with a fake leg or my arm torn off or something like that.”

    [Images via All Michigan Live and NY Daily News]

  • Triple homicide: Boston Bombing Chechen Terror Suspect Tsarnaev Linked To Slayings

    Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the Chechen immigrant to United States and one of the prime suspects in Boston Marathon bombings has been implicated in a 2011 triple homicide, according to newly filed court papers by federal prosecutors.

    Tsarnaev, whose uncle Ruslan Tsarnaev was curiously married to the daughter of CIA officer Graham Fuller for three years, participated in the triple homicide at an apartment in Waltham, Massachusetts in September 2011.

    The clinching proof came during interrogation of another Chechen immigrant Ibragim Todashev, who was a close acquaintance of Tamerlan from their days as mixed martial-arts trainees in Boston. According to narrative presented by FBI, which has raised serious suspicions, Todashev was killed while scuffling with an FBI agent, who then shot and killed the Chechen.

    FBI claims that Todashev told them that Tamerlan Tsarnaev slayed the three men believed to be his close friends over a drug related dispute. On September 12, 2011, the marijuana sprinkled bodies of three victims, Brendan Mess, 25; Erik Weissman, 31; and Raphael Teken, 37, were found in the Waltham apartment.

    The 23-page court filing brief argues against a motion by the lawyers for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 20; Tamerlan’s younger brother and accomplice, charged in the marathon bombings.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s lawyers have filed the motion with the court to force the federal government to share pertinent investigative materials related to the older brother, but prosecutors objected on the grounds that disclosure of the materials sought by the defense could imperil the continuing investigation into the triple homicide.

    On April 15, the two ethnic Chechens, reportedly planted two pressure-cooker bombs, commonly used by Asians to cook rice, that detonated near the finish line of the Boston marathon on the historic Boylston street. The bombings killed three and injured 264 others. In a related tweet, FBI Boston denied any links with Tsarnaev brothers prior to Boston bombings:

    After allegedly shooting a law enforcement officer to death in an ambush near MIT, Cambridge, 72 hours later, the duo engaged in a middle of the night gun fire with police near Watertown. Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in the exchange, but Dzokhar escaped. He was later captured in a massive manhunt, while most of Boston urban area was locked down like a police state.

    Dzhokhar’s lawyers have said that he is pleading innocence on all charges related to bombings and the officer’s murder.

    In September 2004, Chechen-Ingush terrorists occupied School Number One in Beslan, Russia, and captured over 1100 people, including 777 children as hostages, resulting in deaths of 380 people, most of them innocent children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG1aZSckpiw

    [image from youtube]

  • Ayman al-Zawahiri Calls for US-Based Attacks

    Al-Qa’ida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri issued his latest audio speech online marking 12 years and a day since the 11 September attacks of 2001. Zawahiri’s speech is issued with the missive of calling for small-scale attacks inside the United States to “bleed America economically.”

    Zawahiri says specifically, “the weak point of America is its economy, which has already begun to stagger due to the military and security expenditure.”

    The concern of lone wolf attacks has been a high priority among intelligence agencies and insiders as these are infinitely easier to pull off, requiring fewer resources, and as a result are harder for authorities to identify ahead of time. Zawahiri references these as viable options, “disparate strikes can be done by one brother or a few of the brothers.”

    He does not leave out however, the call for large attacks in the US, “even if it takes years of patience for this.”

    Al-Qa’ida operatives have had long-standing goals of harming the US and other Western economies. Zawahiri further targets the economy, urging Muslims to refuse to buy products from the US and allies since money from those purchases helps fund US military action in Muslim lands.

    “The Boston incident confirms to the Americans… that they are not facing individuals, organizations or groups, but they are facing an uprising Ummah, that rose in jihad to defend its soul, dignity and capabilities,” Zawahiri says in praise of the April Boston Marathon bombing which took the lives of three and injured 264 victims. Ummah in this case refers to an uprising Muslim nation or community.

    [Image of an old Ayman al-Zawahiri speech.]

  • Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Rolling Stone Issue Does Gangbusters Sales. Because Controversy Sells. Duh.

    Any press is good press, right? Especially when the press is talking about the press itself.

    Two weeks ago, Rolling Stone magazine decided to put a giant image of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover. Not a photo of Tsarnaev in handcuffs, or bloodied in the back of that boat. Nope, Rolling Stone decided to put a big dreamy-looking photo of the terror suspect on the cover – one that made him look more like Jim Morrison than a terrorist.

    And that was the point, at least according to Rolling Stone.

    “The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens,” they said in a statement.

    Basically, the whole point of the article was to look into how this sort of thing happens. How this seemingly normal kid (by all accounts) could turn into a monster. Because he looks like a rock star.

    Explanation or not, Rolling Stone knew that the cover would spark outrage. And it did. Twitter was a mess for a few days. Various chains like Walgreens and CVS boycotted the issue. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wrote a strongly-worded letter to Rolling Stone about their “obvious marketing strategy.”

    The police photographer who took the photos of Tsarnaev as he was being apprehended even lashed out at the cover, calling it “an insult to any person who has every worn a uniform of any color or any police organization or military branch.”

    The point is – people were mad. Very mad.

    But people still bought it.

    According to Magazine Information Network (via AdAge), the Tsarnaev issue sold 102% over average of the per-issue sales for the past year. Among 1,420 retailers, 13,232 copies were sold from July 19th to July 29th – that’s more tha double Rolling Stone’s average sales from 2012.

    Not only did the “boycott” not work in dampening sales, but the controversy actually increased sales – by a huge margin. When you take into account the fact that retail sales only account for a few percent of Rolling Stone’s total circulation, you can see that people went to the stores for this issue specifically.

    Rolling Stone knew what they were doing. And anyone that thought this issue would sell less was delusional. Sex sells. Violence Sells. Scandal sells. Controversy sells.

  • Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Rolling Stone Cover Leads Stores To Boycott Issue, Mayor To Write Angry Letter

    The upcoming Rolling Stone features suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover, and has generated a storm of controversy with stores refusing to sell the issue.

    The headline for the cover story is simply “The Bomber,” and the subtitle is, “How a Popular, Promising Student Was Failed by His Family, Fell Into Radical Islam and Became a Monster.”

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Rolling Stone Cover

    Legions of people are expressing their disgust over the cover (more than the actual story), with many claiming that it glamorizes Tsarnaev, and elevates him to a rock star-like status.

    Some have drawn comparisons to an old Rolling Stone issue with Jim Morrison on the cover (via Buzzfeed):

    A lot of people are saying a lot of hateful things about the magazine on Twitter, where Rolling Stone hasn’t said much about it, other than:

    Meanwhile, Rolling Stone is continuing with business as usual, tweeting stories about Nine Inch Nails, Kings of Leon, etc.

    The magazine did release a statement, which currently sits atop the online version of the piece, and which was posted to the Rolling Stone Facebook page:

    Rolling Stone1 hour ago

    Our hearts go out to the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing, and our thoughts are always with them and their families. The cover story we are publishing this week falls within the traditions of journalism and Rolling Stone’s long-standing commitment to serious and thoughtful coverage of the most important political and cultural issues of our day. The fact that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is young, and in the same age group as many of our readers, makes it all the more important for us to examine the complexities of this issue and gain a more complete understanding of how a tragedy like this happens. –THE EDITORS

    Boston Bomber: How Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Fell Into Radical Islam | Culture News | Rolling Stone
    Janet Reitman delivers a riveting account of how Jahar Tsarnaev became a monster

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  1,000+ comments

    As mentioned, stores are boycotting the issue:

    Tedeschi Food Shops, Inc.6 hours ago

    Tedeschi Food Shops supports the need to share the news with everyone, but cannot support actions that serve to glorify the evil actions of anyone. With that being said, we will not be carrying this issue of Rolling Stone. Music and terrorism don’t mix!

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  425 comments

    Boston Mayor Thomas Menino released a letter to Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, saying:

    Dear Mr. Wenner,

    Your August 3 cover rewards a terrorist with celebrity treatment. It is ill-conceived, at best, and re-affirms a terrible message that destruction gains fame for killers and their “causes”. There may be valuable journalism behind your sensational treatment, though we can’t know because almost all you released is the cover.

    To respond to you in anger is to feed into your obvious marketing strategy. So, I write to you instead to put the focus where you could have: on the brave and strong survivors and on the thousands of people – their family and friends, volunteers, first responders, doctors, nurses, and donors – who have come to their side. Among those we lost, those who survived, and those who help carry them forward, there are artists and musicians and dancers and writers. They have dreams and plans. They struggle and strive. The survivors of the Boston attacks deserve Rolling Stone cover stories, though I no longer feel that Rolling Stone deserves them.

    Sincerely,

    Thomas M. Menino
    Mayor of Boston

    Again, the cover story is online now. You can read it here. Here’s the intro:

    Peter Payack awoke around 4 a.m. on April 19th, 2013, and saw on his TV the grainy surveillance photo of the kid walking out of the minimart. The boy, identified as “Suspect #2” in the Boston bombing, looked familiar, thought Payack, a wrestling coach at the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. On the other hand, there were a million skinny kids with vaguely ethnic features and light-gray hoodies in the Boston area, and half the city was probably thinking they recognized the suspect. Payack, who’d been near the marathon finish line on the day of the bombing and had lost half of his hearing from the blast, had hardly slept in four days. But he was too agitated to go back to bed. Later that morning, he received a telephone call from his son. The kid in the photo? “Dad, that’s Jahar.”

    While the cover has certainly generated much more negative buzz than defense of Rolling Stone’s actions, some approve of the magazine’s choice, as evidenced by Fox News’ polling of its audience:

    Currently, Rolling Stone continues to trend on Twitter, and the conversation about its upcoming issue has become a national one.

  • Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Pleads Not Guilty to Boston Marathon Bombings

    Suspected Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev this week pleaded not guilty to 30 charges related to the bombings, which killed three people and injured over 150 others back in April of this year.

    According to a Boston Globe report, Tsarnaev’s relatives and more than 30 victims of the bombings packed a Boston courtroom to hear Tsarnaev himself issue not guilty pleas for seven different groups of charges, which include using weapons of mass destruction, carjacking, malicious destruction of property, and firearm charges. The charges carry the possibility of life in prison or the death sentence. Prosecutors allege that Tsarnaev had downloaded extremist Islamic teachings shortly before the bombings, and that he wrote a confession to the bombings in the boat where he was found.

    Dzhokhar and his brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, were involved in a shootout with Boston Police shortly after they became suspects in the bombings. Tamerlan was killed in the shootout, while Dzhokhar managed to escape and hide for nearly an entire day in a boat parked in a Watertown, Massachusetts backyard. Since his capture, Dzhokhar has claimed innocence, telling authorities that Tamerlan was the mastermind behind the bombings.

    Dzhokar Tsarnaev’s next court hearing is scheduled for September 23.

    (via Boston Globe)

  • YouTube Rapper Will Not Face Terroristic Threat Charges

    YouTube Rapper Will Not Face Terroristic Threat Charges

    A Boston teen and aspiring YouTube rapper will not be charged with making terroristic threats in the hours following the Boston Marathon bombings after a Grand Jury has rejected his indictment.

    18-year-old Cameron D’Ambrosio was arrested on May 1st after officials were notified of Facebook posts containing “with disturbing verbiage,” according to police.

    What did he post exactly?

    fuck a boston bombinb wait til u see the shit I do, I’ma be famous for rapping, and beat every murder charge that comes across me.

    “He’s telling people to shut up and in order to get some props he’ll have to go kill somebody. He says he’ll go insane and make the news,” said Police Chief Joseph Solomon at the time of the arrest. “And he said people shouldn’t cry when they see what he does because they have it coming.”

    D’Ambrosio has been held without bail for over a month. The charges leveled against him could have resulted in up to 20 years in prison.

    The case drew national attention, as many free speech activists argued that the arrest and subsequent incarceration amounted to a First Amendment violation.

    Noted First Amendment advocates Fight for the Future launched a petition to free D’Ambrosio. That petition received over 90,000 signatures.

    “The post contained no specific threat of violence against any person or group of people, and in the context of the rest of the lyrics and Cams’ rap persona, it was clearly nothing more than a metaphor and rap braggadocio – Cam wasn’t saying he would ‘outdo’ the Marathon bombing, as the media has frequently reported, he’s saying he’s going to be famous rapping, more famous than the marathon bombing. A la Biggie Smalls ‘blowing up like the World Trade.’ It may be a distasteful line, but it’s free speech and it’s protected by the Constitution,” said FFTF.

    “At an initial bail hearing, the prosecution was clearly grasping at straws and brought up incidents from Cam’s past – like the fact that he allegedly bit another student during a fight when he was 11 years old, and the fact that the police were called after a fight he had with his sister several years ago.”

    “There will be a bail hearing this afternoon, after which point he will probably be released, is my educated guess,” said Essex County DA spokesperson Carrie Kimball Monahan.

  • Drunk Governor: Deval Patrick Got Drunk After Boston Bombings

    Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick this week admitted to celebrating the capture of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects by getting drunk.

    According to a Boston Herald report, the governor was speaking to a Cambridge-area marketing company this week when he admitted how tremendously relieved he was when Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was captured on April 19. Patrick stated that he had received lots of criticism (even from President Obama) for locking down parts of Boston into what was essentially martial law while the search for Tsarnaev was ongoing.

    Patrick stated that after the suspect was caught, he retreated to his rural home in he Berkshires. There, he had dinner alone at a local restaurant, seated far from other customers to read a book on his tablet. The restaurant’s owner, he stated, kept bringing him “things to drink as a celebration.” Patrick admitted that by the end of his meal he was “quite drunk.”

    As part of the mini-confessional, Patrick also admitted that his “shelter in place” order for Boston may have been criticized even more if Dzhokhar hadn’t been found. He stated that if the bomber hadn’t been found, people would be, “bitching and moaning about how we kept them indoors all day.”

  • Tsarnaev Buried in Secret Location Outside Massachusetts

    Though this week’s events have pushed Boston Marathon bombing headlines from the front pages of newspapers, the city of Boston is still reeling from the attacks and investigators are still digging into the bombers’ pasts.

    Today, the Boston Globe is reporting that the body of suspected bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev has finally been buried. The location of the burial has been kept secret, though the Globe cites an unnamed “funeral home official briefed on the situation” as stating it did not take place in Massachusetts.

    Tsarnaev’s body was reportedly taken just before midnight from the funeral home where it has been since being released to the Tsarnaev family. Tsarnaev’s uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, is reported by the Globe to have approved the burial site after having difficulties finding a cemetery that would accept the body.

    The burial and transportation of the body was coordinated by Worcester police, who have also confirmed the burial. From the police statement:

    As a result of our public appeal for help, a courageous and compassionate individual came forward to provide the assistance needed to properly bury the deceased. His body is no longer in the City of Worcester and is now entombed.

    Tsarnaev was killed during a shootout with police that occurred shortly after the FBI determined he and his brother were the bombing suspects. Tamerlan’s brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is currently behind bars and cooperating with police. He faces up to the death penalty for charges of using a weapon of mass destruction.

    (Image courtesy the comment/Johannes Hirn)

  • Katherine Russell Tsarnaev: Wife Refuses to Talk About Bomber

    Ever since Boston police identified the Boston Marathon bombing suspects as Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, authorities have been digging into the brothers’ pasts to learn why they wanted to hurt people at the finish line of the marathon. In addition to finding out that over $100,000 in government assistance has gone to the Tsarnaev family, authorities found female DNA on bomb parts recovered at the scene of the bombings.

    Now, The New York Times is reporting that Dzhokhar has revealed some of the bombing plot to the F.B.I. From his hospital bed, the alleged bomber told police that he and Tamerlan had originally planned to plant their bombs on the Fourth of July. Their bomb-making proceeded more quickly than planned, and the Boston Marathon was chosen as the target. Dzhokhar also reportedly stated that the bombings were partly motivated by the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that he and his brother had viewed online sermons from Anwar al-Awlaki, an American cleric.

    Intense scrutiny of Tamerlan’s wife, Katherine Russell has also begun. She has retreated to her family’s home in Rhode Island since the bombings and is caring for her and her former husband’s 3-year-old daughter. Tamerlan died in a shootout with police shortly after the Tsarnaev’s pictures were released in connection with the bombings.

    The Times cites two unnamed “law enforcement officials” as saying the fingerprints found on the bomb materials were not Russell’s. Even so, authorities have stated that Russell is no longer cooperating with the investigation.

    The investigation into Russell’s relationship with her husband has uncovered that she was arrested in Warwick, Rhode Island in 2007 for stealing $67 worth of clothes from an Old Navy store. Her mugshot (seen above) has been released by Warwick police.

  • Teen Charged with Making Facebook Threats to Upstage the Boston Marathon Bombings

    A Methuen, Massachusetts high school student has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats after police were notified of posts made on his Facebook page.

    18-year-old Cameron B. Dambrosio is being held on $1 million bond after making the unspecific threats referencing the Boston Marathon bombings on Facebook. According to Chief of Police Joseph Solomon, Dambrosio’s house has already been searched, and multiple devices have been recovered for analysis (computer, Xbox).

    Here’s what went down, according to a Meuthuen Police Department release:

    Tuesday, May 1, 2013, at approximately 12:20, Methuen High School students reported to administration that they had received a Facebook phone message sent by a Methuen High School student with disturbing verbiage. The student made terrorist threats. These threats were in general and not directed towards another person or the school. The administration acted quickly, contacted school service officer Jim Mellor, who then contacted the police department. The student was not in school but has since been located and placed under arrest.

    So, what did the kid say? According to Solomon,

    “F*ck the Boston bombing, wait til you see what I do. I’m going to be famous.” Apparently, he also went on to say that he would “beat every murder charge brought against him.

    “He’s telling people to shut up and in order to get some props he’ll have to go kill somebody. He says he’ll go insane and make the news,” Solomon said. “And he said people shouldn’t cry when they see what he does because they have it coming.”

    Dambrosio has been charged with Terroristic Threats, which can be punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

    The Daily Dot found Dambrosio’s YouTube channel, which shows him to be an aspiring rapper – or whatever you call this:

    [Methuen PD via Eagle Tribune]

  • Tsarnaev: $100K in Benefits Going to Bomber’s Family

    Tamerlan Tsarnaev was gunned down during a shootout with police just hours after authorities released photos of him and his brother, Dzhokhar, as the main suspects of the Boston Marathon bombings. Now, in addition to more suspects being arrested, even more details about the Tsarnaevs’ life in the U.S. have come to light.

    The Boston Herald is reporting that Tsarnaev family were receiving over $100,000 in government assistance. The benefits reportedly included food stamps and Section 8 housing credits. An unnamed “person with knowledge of documents handed over to a legislative committee today” told the Herald that the amount of the benefits was “stunning.”

    The documents were examined by the Massachusetts House Post Audit and Oversight Committee, which met on Monday. The committee called in Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) officials to testify about the assistance the Tsarnaev family was receiving. DTA officials told the Herald that they are also conducting their own internal investigation into the Tsarnaev family.

    Shortly after Tsarnaev’s death, it was revealed that the suspected bomber was married to 26-year-old Katherine Russell of Rhode Island. He was also the father of a 3-year-old girl. His brother and alleged co-bomber, Dzhokhar, is currently behind bars in a federal prison hospital.

    (Image courtesy the comment/Johannes Hirn)

  • Female DNA on Bomb: Source Undetermined

    Female DNA on Bomb: Source Undetermined

    Since the death of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and the capture of Dzhokar Tsarnaev, the American public has been able to stop holding its breath, confident that authorities have found those responsible for the Boston Marathon bombing and that justice will be served. Now, a DNA test on some of the bomb material found at the scene has uncovered female DNA, leading to authorities taking a harder look at the Tsarnaev’s female associates and family members.

    A Wall Street Journal report on the revelation cites unnamed “U.S. officials” as stating the source of the DNA has not been determined. In fact, those same officials have said that the DNA may have come from many different sources, including store clerks or even bombing victims.

    Soon after Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in a shootout with police, his life in the U.S. began to be revealed, including his wife, Katherine Russell, and his 3-year-old daughter. According to the Journal report, FBI agents this week took a DNA sample from Russell to see if it matches the DNA found on the bomb material. Russell has been staying with her parents since the bombing, and is being guarded by the FBI.

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  • Tsarnaev Held Behind Steel Door in Prison Hospital

    Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is now being held under tight security in a federal prison hospital.

    According to a report from CBS, the surviving Tsarnaev brother is being held in a cell with a steel door at Federal Medical Center Devens. The facility is located just outside of Boston.

    Tsarnaev’s room also reportedly has a viewing window and video surveillance. Medical personnel at the facility monitor inmates in shifts. A prison spokesperson told CBS that keeping the bombing suspect locked up was “business as usual” for the facility.

    Tsarnaev was injured in the same firefight with police in which his brother, Tamerlan, was killed. Though Dzhokhar was able to escape on that occasion, a city-wide manhunt eventually located the 19-year-old in a boat parked in a Watertown, Massachusetts backyard.

    Another detail about the Tsarnaev brothers also emerged this weekend. Russian police reportedly recorded a phone call in 2011 between Tamerlan and his mother, during which the suspected bomber talked of his radical religious views.

  • Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Tells Authorities Tamerlan Masterminded Boston Bombing

    The remaining suspect in the Boston bombings is blaming the whole thing on the dead suspect.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been talking to authorities (or writing rather, as he can’t talk because of a gunshot wound to the throat), and says that his brother, the late Tamerlan Tsarnaev, masterminded the whole thing.

    According to a report from CNN, Tsarnaev told authorities that there is not any international terrorist group involved, and that his brother orchestrated the attack. CNN’s Jake Tapper and Matt Smith report:

    Tsarnaev has conveyed to investigators that Tamerlan’s motivation stemmed from jihadist thought and the idea that Islam is under attack, and jihadists need to fight back, the source said Monday.

    The government source cautioned that the interviews were preliminary, and that Tsarnaev’s account needs to be checked out and followed up on by investigators.

    So far, officials have not found evidence that the suspects collaborated with other people on the attacks, though Tamerlan had taken a long trip to Russia last year. The details of this trip are unclear, though he had posted and taken down a YouTube video of Islamic militant Abu Dujana, who was killed in a gun battle with Russian security forces a few months after Tamerlan’s trip.

    Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was charged on Monday with one count of using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction (an improvised explosive device) against persons and property within the United States resulting in death, and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. He could face, upon conviction, the death penalty or life imprisonment.

    More details about Tsarnaev’s conversations with authorities will no doubt emerge in time.