US charges against Boston bombing suspect allow for death penalty (+video)

The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing was charged on Monday with using an improvised explosive device that killed spectators at the historic race on Patriots Day.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., was also charged with malicious destruction of property by means of an explosion that resulted in death.

Both charges carry a potential death sentence.

The action came almost exactly a week after two homemade bombs ripped through the crowd near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, killing three and injuring more than 200.

Mr. Tsarnaev was informed of the charges during an initial court appearance conducted by a federal judge in his hospital room.

“Although our investigation is ongoing, today’s charges bring a successful end to a tragic week for the city of Boston and for our country,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

The charges resulted from the work of a team of investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Boston Police Department, the Massachusetts State Police, and a range of other federal investigative agencies.

According to a sworn affidavit filed with the charges, investigators used video and still photographs taken near the finish line of the marathon to identify two suspected bombers. The 10-page affidavit provides the most detailed statement to date of how law enforcement officials were able to identify and arrest the suspects.

“At approximately 2:38 p.m. (based on the video's duration and timing of the explosions) – i.e., approximately 11 minutes before the first explosion – two young men can be seen turning left (eastward) onto Boylston from Gloucester Street. Both men are carrying large knapsacks,” the affidavit says.

The affidavit identifies the men from the color of their hats. Bomber One is wearing a black baseball style hat, and Bomber Two is in a white hat. Federal officials have identified Bomber One as Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Bomber Two as his younger brother, Dzhokhar.

“After turning onto Boylston Street, Bomber One and Bomber Two can be seen walking eastward along the north side of the sidewalk towards the Marathon finish line. Bomber One is in front and Bomber Two is a few feet behind him.” The affidavit continues: “At approximately 2:42 p.m. (i.e., approximately seven minutes before the first explosion), Bomber One can be seen detaching himself from the crowd and walking east on Boylston Street towards the Marathon finish line.”

“Approximately 15 seconds later, he can be seen passing directly in front of the Forum Restaurant and continuing in the direction of the location where the first explosion occurred,” the affidavit says. “His knapsack is still on his back.”

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