Nearly 23 months after the horrific bombing of the 2013 Boston Marathon occurred, opening statements in the trial of the accused terrorist Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, began in a Federal Court in Boston on Wed., Mar. 4. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, Tsarnaev’s older brother and accomplice in the bombing, was killed after a gun battle with police following the bombing. Tsarnaev faces 30 charges surrounding to the bombings in his trial, 17 of which carry the possibility of the death penalty. 

More than 260 people were injured in the bombings, which took place on April 15, 2013, and three lives were taken that day in the explosions. The two pressure cooker bombs, which were remotely triggered and filled with nails, ball bearings, and black powder,  exploded at 2:49 p.m. about 12 seconds and 210 yards apart near the finish line on Boylston Street. With the opening statements finally released, memories of the tragic incident have resurfaced as the public waits to hear how the trial will proceed.

Tsarnaev’s attorney, Judy Clarke, didn’t try to deny her client’s participation in the crime.

“It was him,” she told the jury, according to CNN. Clarke proceeded to explain that Tsarnaev carried one of the pressure cooker bombs and placed it near the finish line. Rather than trying to prove her client isn’t guilty, Clarke is trying to bring to light why her client did it- and why his involvement wasn’t his fault.

According to Clarke, the older Tsarnaev unfairly drafted and influenced his younger brother into helping him commit the horrific bombing.  Although both the defense and prosecution agree on what occurred and that Tsarnaev was involved, they have presented different views on why he did it.

U.S. Prosecutor Bill Weinreb attempted to explain to the jury why Tsarnaev should be held responsible for his actions alone.

“The goal of the Tsarnaev brothers was to kill as many people as possible,” Weinreb said, according to an article by CNN. He then proceeded to give a detailed account of the terror those at the site of the bombing experienced, highlighting the violence committed by the siblings.

The jury, which was was officiated on March 3, consists of  eight men and 10 women- who all hail from various backgrounds and places on the socioeconomic spectrum. Due to the variation in the jurors’ views and values, the outcome of this trial is very uncertain. 

As the trail continues, both sides will continue to express why they think Tsarnaev committed his crimes. Due to the complexity of the case and the multitude of lives that were affected because of the incidents, the trial is expected to carry on for a long time. With Tsarnaev potentially facing the death penalty for his actions, the media and public will most likely continue to watch the trial as closely as possible.