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Nashua Woman Injured in Marathon Bombing 'Relieved' By Tsarnaev Guilty Verdict

Jane Flavell Collins/AP

A jury found admitted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty on all counts yesterday, including 17 making him eligible for the death penalty.

The bombings left three people dead and wounded more than 260 others.

Karen Brassard of Nashua was injured in the first blast near the finish line, along with her husband and daughter.

She was in the courtroom when the verdict was read and joins Morning Edition to share her reaction.

Tsarnaev guilty on all 30 counts. He had admitted his role in the bombings, but how are you feeling now that it’s official?

Relieved that it’s behind us; that this is one step closer to having it all completed.

Credit Courtesy: Karen Brassard
Karen Brassard at the Boston Marathon finish line with her husband Ron moments before the first blast in 2013.

Any sense of closure?

I was asked that yesterday. The thing about closure is it really is not a real concept. This is something that’s going to be with us forever. We’re going to always be reminded of it in some form, but it certainly relieves a lot of the day-to-day pressure of it.

Set the scene in the courtroom. Were you looking for a reaction from Tsarnaev showing any remorse when the verdict was read?

No, I didn’t expect that at all. He has not shown any interest at all in this entire process. I didn’t expect to see anything from him at all. I wasn’t surprised by the verdict, other than that I was curious whether there would be one or two that the jury questioned. I was grateful to hear it was guilty on every count.

The process now moves to sentencing. You’ve said before you support the death penalty in this case. Is it your sense that’s the consensus among those impacted by the bombings?

We haven’t really talked about it a lot as a group. I have heard several people who are certainly for it. I don’t know whether people that are not for it just don’t want to speak about it. So yes, I think there are a lot of us who will be satisfied if that’s the answer. But I also think that people will be OK if it’s not. As long as there’s understanding that he is off of the streets and he is not living the life of pleasure that he took away from other people, I think they’re satisfied.

Credit Brian Snyder/Reuters/Landov
Karen Brassard, left, attends the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

And do you plan to attend sentencing once it gets underway?

I do, yes. I want to be there every day.

For many radio listeners throughout New Hampshire, Rick Ganley is the first voice they hear each weekday morning, bringing them up to speed on news developments overnight and starting their day off with the latest information.
Michael serves as NHPR's Program Director. Michael came to NHPR in 2012, working as the station's newscast producer/reporter. In 2015, he took on the role of Morning Edition producer. Michael worked for eight years at The Telegraph of Nashua, covering education and working as the metro editor.
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