A Nonprofit News Organization
Convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has not been allowed to speak in his own defense. What do his defense attorneys—or governmental security agencies—have to gain by his silence?
The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev may turn out to be one of the strangest in history. The main story doesn’t make much sense, yet nearly all mainstream accounts suggest there is nothing more to be learned about the Boston Marathon bombing. Russ Baker ruminates on the “known unknowns” that await resolution.
Almost 20 years ago, defense attorney Judy Clarke argued for a life sentence for convicted Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. But the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is a different story, and his relatives have called her methods into question.
A poll in Boston turned up a surprising finding—42 percent of those polled are unsure if Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzohkhar Tsarnaev is guilty. That’s a shock given the dominant media narrative that says he’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Yet the case is still full of lots of contradictions and unanswered questions that beg for answers.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan wants Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to stand trial for the murder of MIT cop Sean Collier and the shootout in Watertown, Massachusetts. According to experts, individuals charged with federal capital crimes are almost never subsequently charged with local crimes. Does DA Ryan think the federal charges might not stick upon appeal?
Should we be concerned that, after all this time, would-be presidents of the United States, like the majority of the media and the population at large, are still unaware of the full story behind the Marathon Bombing?
The Boston Globe reported on its own marathon bombing reporting, as quantified by an expert witness for accused bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The Globe is a little selective about which criticisms of its journalism made it into the story.
The judge running the Boston Marathon Bombing trial has gained notice for two things: The secrecy with which he conducts some proceedings, and his steadfast refusal to move the trial. James Henry examines how the judge’s bent for closing the court may work against his decision to keep the trial in Boston.
NOW LIVE ON WhoWhatWhy Why WhoWhatWhy’s Boston Marathon Bombing Coverage Is Important by Klaus Marre Traditional news outlets have all but abdicated their duty to ask the hard questions. Boston Globe columnist Kevin Cullen is a case in point – he’s on a first-name basis with the police involved in Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s capture. Klaus Marre […]
Imagine if someone looked at a Christian cross on the wall, and took it to be representative of the cross-burning Ku Klux Klan? That’s the logic some reporters are applying to the black Muslim flag found on Boston Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s wall. They’re equating the flag, a common symbol of a Muslim’s faith, to a sign of affiliation with al Qaeda.
There is a lighter side even to serious topics, as WhoWhatWhy Founder Russ Baker demonstrates in a live podcast from the New York Comedy Festival.
Boston Marathon Bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s multiple attempts to move his trial out of the city he’s accused of traumatizing finally got a hearing at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals. The same court has told him to stay put once, by a vote of 2-1. Thursday’s arguments before the same judges didn’t seem to reveal a change in sentiment. WhoWhatWhy’s Andy Thibault reports.