Trump calls for death penalty for Boston Marathon bomber after appeals court vacated death sentence

President Trump on Sunday called for the death penalty for the Boston Marathon bomber, just days after an appeals court overturned the death sentence.

“Rarely has anybody deserved the death penalty more than the Boston Bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev,” Trump tweeted. “The court agreed that this ‘was one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks since the 9/11 atrocities’. Yet the appellate court tossed out the death sentence.” 

“So many lives lost and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand,” the president added. “Also, it is ridiculous that this process is taking so long!”

….and ruined. The Federal Government must again seek the Death Penalty in a do-over of that chapter of the original trial. Our Country cannot let the appellate decision stand. Also, it is ridiculous that this process is taking so long!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 2, 2020

A three-judge panel from the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday overturned the death sentence for Tsarnaev, ruling that the U.S. district court did not properly vet jurors for potential bias. The ruling vacated only the death sentence, and the judges emphasized that Tsarnaev will not be leaving prison soon, if ever. 

“Make no mistake: Dzhokhar will spend his remaining days locked up in prison, with the only matter remaining being whether he will die by execution,” the ruling stated.

The April 15, 2013, attack along the Boston Marathon route was perpetrated by Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev. It killed three people and injured more than 260 others. Tamerlan Tsarnaev later died in a shootout with police. 

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in 2015. He was convicted on 30 charges, including conspiracy and use of a weapon of mass destruction.