Jurors in the trial of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have seen photos of a hand-scrawled note he left inside the boat he was captured hiding in days after the 2013 attack. They may also see the boat itself, if his lawyers have their way.
Judge George O'Toole Jr. went to look at the boat himself on Tuesday to decide whether to allow the jury to see the entire boat, as Tsarnaev's lawyers have requested. Prosecutors have asked instead to bring in just the panels of the boat where the writing appears.
On Tuesday, jurors saw three photos showing the blood-stained note, which also was dotted with bullet holes.
The note criticized the U.S. for its actions in Muslim countries and describes what prosecutors say was the motive for the bombings. Twin pressure-cooker bombs placed near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013, killed three people and injured more than 260.
In the note, written in pencil on the inside walls of the boat, Tsarnaev says he is jealous of his brother because he is dead and now in paradise.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, died following a violent confrontation with police during a getaway attempt four days after the bombings. Dzhokhar, then 19, was found hiding in the boat parked in a yard in suburban Watertown.
"I do not mourn because his soul is very much alive. God has a plan for each person. Mine was to hide in this boat and shed some light on our actions," he wrote, according to the photos shown to the jury by prosecutors.
The note also said: "The U.S. Government is killing our innocent civilians but most of you already know that. As a M [bullet hole] I can't stand to see such evil go unpunished, we Muslims are one body, you hurt one you hurt us all."
"Now I don't like killing innocent people it is forbidden in Islam but due to said [bullet hole] it is allowed."
Testimony is scheduled to resume Wednesday.
