Boston Marathon bombing a ‘cold-hearted decision’

As he planted a backpack containing a bomb just feet from a group of children, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev made a cold-hearted decision aimed at spreading terror, a federal prosecutor told jurors during closing arguments at Tsarnaev’s death penalty trial.

“There was nothing about this day that was a twist of fate,” said Aloke Chakravarty. “This was a cold, calculated terrorist act. This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty. It was to make a point. It was to tell America that: ‘We will not be terrorised by you any more. We will terrorise you.’ ”

Defence lawyer Judy Clarke countered by arguing, as she did at the trial’s outset, that Tsarnaev took part in the attack but that he did so under the malevolent influence of his now-dead older brother, Tamerlan.