In Final Prosecution Video, Martin Richard Appears to Reach for Mother as He Dies
Prosecutors ended their argument that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should be executed for his role in the Boston Marathon bombing by showing a video of 8-year-old Martin Richard appearing to reach for his mother as he died.
Tsarnaev’s defense attorneys will begin arguments Monday that he should be sentenced to life in prison.
While footage showing the moments after the second blast had been shown in court before, Thursday’s video and testimony focused on the youngest victim’s final moments. The video showed a small blurry figure, whom survivor Stephen Woolfenden identified as Martin, raising his hands briefly after the explosion.
Woolfenden was the prosecution’s final witness. He and his 3-year-old son, Leo, went to the marathon to watch his wife and Leo’s mother, Amber, run the race. Leo suffered a fractured skull, head laceration, perforated eardrum, and burns in the blast.
Woolfenden said after the second bomb detonated, he was on the ground near Martin and saw that the 8-year-old’s “eyes rolled back in his head.’’ Martin had been standing three-and-a-half feet from the bomb, an FBI photographer said.
Woolfenden said he placed his hand on the back of Martin’s mother, Denise, who was bending over her son.
Denise asked him, “Are you OK?’’ he testified. Woolfenden, despite having his leg severed and not knowing the whereabouts of his toddler, said, “Yes.’’
Then Martin’s mother turned back to her son.
Prior to Woolfenden came testimony from Dr. David King, a trauma surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital who reviewed Martin’s autopsy. King, a combat surgeon who treated patients in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Haiti, said Martin almost certainly felt severe pain in his final moments.
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