Teachers, say Boston Marathon bomber was kind as a child

This undated photo released Wednesday, April 29, 2015, by the Federal Public Defender Office and presented as evidence during the penalty phase in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Boston, brothers Dzhokhar, left, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev sit together at an unknown location. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three and injured more than 260 spectators in April 2013. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a firefight with police days after the bombings. (AP Photo/Federal Public Defender Office) This undated photo released Wednesday, April 29, 2015, by the Federal Public Defender Office and presented as evidence during the penalty phase in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in Boston, brothers Dzhokhar, left, and Tamerlan Tsarnaev sit together at an unknown location. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of the Boston Marathon bombings that killed three and injured more than 260 spectators in April 2013. Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a firefight with police days after the bombings. (AP Photo/Federal Public Defender Office)

By Associated Press April 30, 2015 3 min read

BOSTON (AP) – Teachers who knew Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev as a child described him as a hardworking youngster who seemed to have a bright future.

Catheryn Charner-Laird, his third-grade teacher, said Tsarnaev was just learning English after moving to the U.S. from Russia in 2002 and cared very much about his school work. She said he “always wanted to do the right thing.”

Other teachers said he got nearly all As in his classes, made friends easily and was an excellent soccer player.

The testimony came Wednesday during the third day of the defense case in the penalty phase of Tsarnaev’s trial. He was convicted earlier this month in the 2013 bombing that killed three people and injured more than 260.

The same jury is now hearing evidence to decide whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or the death penalty.