Boston blasts: Suspect charged, could face death penalty

Initial proceedings against Dzhokhar Tsarnaev 19 who was captured Friday night after a massive manhunt were conducted Monday at Boston39s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre by a federal magistrate judge with two assistant US attorneys including Indian American Aloke Chakravarty appearing for the prosecution Chakravarty and William Weinreb from the antiterrorism and national security unit of the US Attorney39s office in Boston will prosecute Tsarnaev who remains under armed guard in serious condition the Justice Department announced Monday Tsarnaev who is unable to speak because of throat injuries was able to respond to inquiries nodding yes and at one point even mouthing the word quotNoquot according to a transcript of the hearing Dzhokhar Tsarnaev File pic AFP The 19yearold Cambridge man who had escaped a shootout with police that killed the second suspect his older brother Tamerlan 26 dead early Friday morning also faces a charge of malicious destruction of property resulting in death Federal charges were brought against Tsarnaev Monday after the White House decided against trying him as an enemy combatant as demanded by some Republican lawmakers including President Barack Obama39s 2008 presidential rival John McCain and Senator Lindsey Graham quotHe will not be treated as an enemy combatantquot White House spokesman Jay Carney said in Washington quotWe will prosecute this terrorist through our civilian system of justicequot Carney stressed that the civilian system has been used to try convict and incarcerate quothundreds of terroristsquot since the 911 attacks including the Times Square attempted bomber quotThe system has repeatedly proved that it can successfully handle the threats we continue to facequot he said quotAlthough our investigation is ongoing today39s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston and for our countryquot said Attorney General Eric Holder Tsarnaev waived his right to a detention hearing His next hearing will be May 30 court officials said An affidavit filed in support of the charges by FBI Special Agent Daniel R Genck provided startling details of the evidence collected against Tsarnaev connecting him to the deadly bombs The affidavit said among other things that based on reviews of surveillance video and photos and videos provided by the public Tsarnaev stood for four minutes next to a bomb that he had placed on the ground in front of the Forum Restaurant on Boylston Street He had a cell phone in his hand and appeared to take a photograph of the bomb on the sidewalk before he walked away the affidavit said About 30 seconds before the first explosion hit just down the street 120 yards away near the Marathon39s finish line quothe lifts his phone to his ear as if he is speaking on his cell phone and keeps it there for approximately 18 seconds quotHe walks away without his knapsack having left it on the ground where he had been standing Approximately 10 second later an explosion occurs in the location where Bomber Two had placed his knapsackquot Genck added The affidavits also revealed that the FBI searched Tsarnaev39s dorm room at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Sunday and found quota large pyrotechnic a black jacket and white hat of the same general appearance as those worn by Bomber Two at the Boston Marathon3939 The affidavit referred to Tsarnaev as quotBomber Twoquot a slight variation from what officials had called him previously quotSuspect Twoquot