Jury begins deliberating fate of Boston Marathon bomber

Anti-death penalty protestors, Heather Korostoff Murray, right, and Sara Mattes, left, chat with a member of the homeland security force outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse during the closing statements phase of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev federal death penalty trial on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Boston. Tsarnaev is charged with conspiring with his brother to place two bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line that killed three and injured 260 spectators in April 2013. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) Anti-death penalty protestors, Heather Korostoff Murray, right, and Sara Mattes, left, chat with a member of the homeland security force outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse during the closing statements phase of the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev federal death penalty trial on Wednesday, May 13, 2015, in Boston. Tsarnaev is charged with conspiring with his brother to place two bombs near the Boston Marathon finish line that killed three and injured 260 spectators in April 2013. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

By Associated Press May 14, 2015 4 min read

BOSTON (AP) – Just before a jury began deliberating the fate of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, prosecutors reminded jurors of the pain and suffering caused by the bombing and said Tsarnaev deserves to die for what he did.

But Tsarnaev’s lawyer said he was an “invisible” teenager in a dysfunctional family who was led astray by his older, radicalized brother and deserves a chance at redemption.

The federal jury of seven women and five men began deliberating late Wednesday after listening to powerful closing statements from prosecutors and Tsarnaev’s lawyers. Jurors will return to U.S. District Court on Thursday to resume deliberations.

Prosecutor Steve Mellin told the jury that Tsarnaev is a callous “remorse-free” terrorist who bombed the marathon with his brother, Tamerlan, to make a political statement against the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries.

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two pressure-cooker bombers packed with shrapnel exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.