Boston bombing suspect’s widow wants body released

Boston bombing suspect’s widow wants body released

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The widow of one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects will ask the Massachusetts medical examiner to release his body to his family, her attorney said today.

Attorney Amato DeLuca said in a statement that Katherine Russell wants Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s remains released to the Tsarnaev family.

Tsarnaev, 26, died after a gunfight with authorities. Police said he ran out of ammunition before his brother, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, dragged his body under a vehicle while fleeing the scene.

Authorities say the medical examiner has determined the cause of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s death but it will remain private until his remains are released and a death certificate is filed. His parents are still in Russia, but he has other relatives on his side of the family in the U.S.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is charged with using a weapon of mass destruction to kill, a crime that carries a potential death sentence. He lies in a prison hospital after being wounded in the shootout with police as he and his brother made their getaway attempt.

DeLuca said Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s widow met with law enforcement “for many hours over the past week” and will continue cooperating. FBI agents on Monday visited her parents’ North Kingstown, R.I., home, where she has been staying, and carried away several bags.

“Katherine and her family continue to be deeply saddened by the harm that has been caused,” DeLuca said Tuesday.

Terrel Harris, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, said Tuesday evening that the state had not yet received Russell’s request to release her husband’s body.

He said arrangements must be made to release the body and once that happens a death certificate will be filed and the cause of death made public. He said it is too soon to speculate on when that might happen.