Advertisement

Boston bombing trial: Remembering the victims of the attacks

WATCH ABOVE: The jury convicted Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on all 30 counts against him Wednesday, on its second day of deliberations. Kris Van Cleave reports.

Three people died when brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev set off homemade pressure cooker bombs near the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon.

A fourth victim, a police officer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, died in shootout with the Tsarnaev brothers three days later.

Dzhokhar was convicted Wednesday on all 30 counts related to the attacks.

READ MORE: What happens next in the trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev?

While the conviction and possible death sentence he faces won’t bring the victims back, the jury’s decision may provide some sense of justice or closure for their families.

Story continues below advertisement

Who were the victims?

Krystle Campbell
Krystle Campbell wanted to get that victorious shot of her boyfriend crossing the marathon finish line. The 29-year-old was a restaurant manager from the city of Medford, just outside Boston.

Campbell’s father said she was a “very caring, very loving person, and was daddy’s little girl.”

29-year-old Krystle Campbell was cheering from the sidelines as her boyfriend ran in the marathon when she was killed by one of the explosions.
29-year-old Krystle Campbell was cheering from the sidelines as her boyfriend ran in the marathon when she was killed by one of the explosions. Mark St. George, Rex Features/The Canadian Press

In her honour a group of Boston Marathon participants raised money for the Krystle Campbell Scholarship for students at the University of Massachusetts (Campbell took classes at the Boston campus for two years). Two scholarships were awarded this year and were awarded on Tuesday, as the jury deliberated the case.

Martin Richard

Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard, 8, once took apart in a rally against violence holding a sign bearing King’s words, “No more hurting people — Peace.” Rex Features/The Associated Press

Martin Richard was the youngest victim in the bombing, just 8 years old when he died. He was with his family near the finish line to cheer on the runners. His father Bill was a runner, but not running in the race, according to an Associated Press report at the time. His mother, Denise, and 6-year-old sister Jane both suffered serious injuries.

Story continues below advertisement

Jane lost one of her legs and Denise is blind in one eye. Bill’s eardrums burst. Martin’s older brother Henry, who was also there, escaped getting hit by shrapnel blown out by the homemade bombs.

Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.

When the family spoke to the Boston Globe a year after that terrifying day, Bill and Denise described their son as a boy who loved sports, fascinated with stars and the solar system and had an affinity for the teachings of Martin Luther King Jr. He even took part in a rally against violence holding a sign bearing King’s words: “No more hurting people — Peace.”

After the young boy’s death, the family created a foundation in honour of Martin’s memory to promote peace by “investing in education athletics and community.”

WATCH: Boston Bombing victim speaks about guilty verdict says, ‘I don’t know what justice is’

Lingzi Lu

LLingzi Boston Marathon bombing victims, America – 17 Apr 2013 Chinese student Lu Lingzi was watching the marathon near the finish line when she was killed by one of the blasts. She had been studying at Boston University. Rex Features/The Canadian Press

Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu, 23, was supposed to be studying the day of the Boston Marathon. Her friend and fellow Boston University student, Danling Zhou, convinced her to go see the race. They were hit by the second blast. A medical examiner later determined she died “seconds to minutes” later.

Story continues below advertisement

“This child is particularly smart and simple,” Lu’s former high school teacher, in her hometown of Sheyang, told a local newspaper after learning of her death.

There is also a scholarship setup in her honour at Boston University, where she studied mathematics and statistics. She would have graduated from the university this year.

Sean Collier

MIT campus police officer Sean Collier, 27, was pronounced dead in hospital after being shot in his patrol car the night of April 28, 2013.

Collier had only been working with the MIT police for a little more than a year when Tamerlan Tsarnaev opened fire on him as he sat in his patrol car. Tamerlan, whom defence lawyers said was the mastermind of the attack, was killed in a gun battle with police.

This undated file photo provided by the Middlesex District Attorney\’s Office shows Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Officer Sean Collier, 26, of Somerville, Mass., who was shot to death Thursday, April 18, 2013.
This undated file photo provided by the Middlesex District Attorney\’s Office shows Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Officer Sean Collier, 26, of Somerville, Mass., who was shot to death Thursday, April 18, 2013. Middlesex District Attorney's Office, File/AP Photo

Thousands of people, many of them fellow police officers turned out for Collier’s memorial service.

Story continues below advertisement

IN PHOTOS: Slain MIT officer memorialized at campus service

“From the time Sean knew what the job was, he wanted it. It was in his blood. For years, he worked and sacrificed to earn the opportunity to wear the badge,” Collier’s sister Jennifer Lemmerman, wrote for Boston.com a year after his death.

She said her brother was as devoted to the policing as he was his family.

“Although he took his professional duties and obligations very seriously, it was not all work and no play for Sean – far from it. Many of the stories shared among his friends and family over the past twelve months have been accompanied by more laughter than tears,” Lemmerman wrote.

With files from The Associated Press

Sponsored content

AdChoices