BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com/AP) - Defense lawyers began making their case to spare the life of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev Tuesday by contrasting him with his older brother, who they said was "consumed by jihad."
Attorney David Bruck told jurors Monday that Tsarnaev was "a good kid" who was led down the path to terrorism by his brother, Tamerlan, who was later killed in a shootout with police.
On Tuesday, the defense first called Rugerio Franca, a Brazilian native who said he moved to Allston in 2006. Franca said he became friendly with a group of Russian neighbors, which is how he met Tamerlan.
Franca said Tamerlan once asked him if, "you are not Muslim yet?" He said he never thought Tamerlan would ask him such a thing.
The defense then called Mark Spencer, the president of a digital forensics consulting firm. The court was shown specific internet searches made by Tamerlan prior to the bombings, many of which involved guns.
Spencer then recreated what the wallpaper and desktop on Tamerlan's computer would have looked like. The gruesome scene appeared to be two bloody children lying on the pavement.
Clips from Tamerlan's computer, including a lecture about defending Muslims killed in the world, were shown. The clips also included battle footage and dead children.
The court was also shown Tamerlan's wife Katherine Russell's internet history from January 2012. On Jan. 23, Spencer searched "If your husband becomes a shahid what are the rewards for you?" and the term "wife of mujahideen."
A photo of Tamerlan, dressed in white robes and a headscarf, posing with a handgun in front of an Islamic banner, was shown in court Tuesday. That picture, and others, are thought to be taken during his 6 month long trip to Russia and were found hidden on his laptop. That trip was taken in 2012, just one year before the marathon bombings.
Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaeva, stayed in Cambridge, for their daughter.
A defense computer expert, examining Katherine's Macbook found January 2012 web searches for "If your husband becomes a shahid, what are the rewards for you."
Boxing coaches testified Tamerlan was a powerful boxer, a Golden Glove winner, but things changed. The Friday before the explosions, Tamerlan, brought his younger brother and a friend to the Allston gym Wai Kru, where Tamerlan broke gym rules by taking other people's equipment without permission, and wearing his street shoes on the mats.
It was enough to prompt a harsh email from the gym's GM, saying his attitude was not representative of the gym.
The jury convicted Tsarnaev earlier this month in the 2013 bombing that killed three spectators and wounded more than 260 others. He also was found guilty of killing an MIT police officer as the brothers tried to flee.
The jury must decide whether Tsarnaev deserves the death penalty, as prosecutors have called for, or if he should spend the rest of his life in prison. We are expected to hear more about Tamerlan's six month long trip to Russia and some of his relatives are in the Boston area, waiting to testify. This trial resumes Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.
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