Boston fire chief resigns after criticism of bombing response
(CNN) -- Boston Fire Chief Steve Abraira, whose deputy chiefs criticized him over his handling of the Boston Marathon bombings, has submitted his resignation, the Boston Fire Department said Monday on its official Twitter account.Abraira's resignation is effective Friday.In an April 26 letter to Boston's mayor, 13 Boston deputy fire chiefs said they had no confidence in Abraira, asserting that he failed to assume command responsibility or show any leadership at the scene."At a time when the city of Boston needed every first responder to take decisive action, Chief Abraira failed to get involved in operational decision-making or show any leadership," the letter read.CNN obtained the letter from a deputy chief who signed it but requested anonymity.
Boston bombing suspects seen at gym days before attack
(CNN) -- Three days before the Boston Marathon bombings, suspects Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were working out together at a Boston gym.Security cameras captured footage of the brothers arriving at the Wai Kru mixed martial arts center with a friend just before 2:45 p.m. April 12.The manager at Wai Kru, who wanted to be identified only as Michael, noticed a distinct change in the older brother's appearance.Tamerlan Tsarnaev's full, bushy religious beard, which he had for about two years, was gone.Michael described the older brother as extremely opinionated and outspoken about his Muslim religion.
Boston suspects' sister pleads not guilty on marijuana charge
(CNN) -- The sister of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana, according to her attorney.Bella Tsarnaev entered the plea at her arraignment hearing Tuesday to the initial charge of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, Tsarnaev's attorney, Mario Blanch told CNN.Police originally arrested Tsarnaev in December 2012 after responding to a domestic disturbance call and finding marijuana in her Fairview, New Jersey, apartment.Blanch says Tsarnaev, 24, has no prior criminal record, and he is hoping she will be accepted into New Jersey's pretrial intervention program, in which mostly first-time offenders are offered alternatives to the normal prosecution process.
Seven-year-old sister of boy killed in Boston Marathon released
(CNN) -- The sister of the boy killed in the April Boston Marathon bombings has been discharged from the hospital where she spent 39 days in intensive care, according to a family statement posted online.Jane Richard, 7, who lost part of one leg in the second blast, was transferred from Boston Children's Hospital to a rehabilitation facility."While we remain devastated over Martin's death and all that has happened to us, Jane's determination for getting better is an inspiring source of strength for the entire family," the statement said.The girl went through 12 surgeries, the posting said.
Official: Dead Boston bombing suspect involved in 2011 slayings
(CNN) -- Deceased Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev participated in a 2011 gruesome triple homicide outside Boston, along with a Chechen killed early Wednesday during a confrontation with the FBI and Massachusetts State Police in Orlando, Florida, a federal law enforcement official told CNN.
Runners who did not finish Boston Marathon invited to 2014 race
BOSTON (WITI) -- The Boston Athletic Association has just announced that runners who were unable to complete the 2013 Boston Marathon as a result of the double-bombing that left three spectators dead, will be invited to participate in the 2014 race.More than 5000 official starters were affected on Monday, April 15 at the 117th Boston Marathon when the race was stopped at 2:50 p.m. ET.
Boston fire chief gets vote of 'no confidence' in handling of bombings
(CNN) -- Thirteen Boston deputy fire chiefs have signed a letter of "no confidence" in Fire Chief Steve Abraira regarding his handling of the Boston Marathon bombings, according to the letter, which CNN independently obtained from a deputy chief who signed it but requested anonymity.The deputy chiefs wrote of their displeasure to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino on April 26, according to the letter."You can unequivocally consider this letter a vote of no confidence in Chief Abraira," the deputy chiefs wrote in the letter.
Feds search Boston bombing suspect's apartment
(CNN) -- Federal authorities were at the apartment of deceased bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev on Sunday, executing a search warrant, an FBI spokeswoman said.Amanda Cox said, "There is court-authorized law enforcement activity" at the home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that Tsarnaev shared with his wife and young daughter.Workers in white hazmat suits were at the apartment, CNN affiliate WCVB reported.Cox said the search stopped for the day in the early afternoon.
Family wants second autopsy of Boston bombing suspect
(CNN) -- For nearly two weeks, Tamerlan Tsarnaev's body lay unclaimed at the Boston medical examiner's office.
Bombing suspect died of gunshot wounds and blunt trauma
(CNN) -- The death certificate for Boston bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, who died April 19th after a shootout with police, says he died of "gunshot wounds of torso and extremities" and "blunt trauma to head and torso," according to Peter Stefan, the owner of the funeral parlor that currently holds Tsarnaev's body.The body is at the Graham, Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Home where services are being planned, the funeral home said Friday, May 3rd.
Official: July Fourth celebration Boston bombers' original target
(CNN) -- It could have been July Fourth.
Boston officer shares experience with law enforcement leaders
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- More than 200 police chiefs have come to Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel.
Official: Boston attack originally planned for July 4th
BOSTON (CNN) -- Suspected bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators that the Boston Marathon was chosen as a target only a day or two before the event, a U.S. law enforcement official with first-hand knowledge of the investigation told CNN on Thursday.
Who are Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Robel Phillipos?
(CNN) -- The number of people potentially embroiled in the Boston Marathon bombings case grew Wednesday to include friends of surviving suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.Not much is known yet about the three 19-year-old men -- Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Robel Phillipos.But here is what CNN has learned so far.All started at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth in 2011, along with Tsarnaev.Each is accused of removing items from Tsarnaev's dorm room after the April 15 attack, which killed three people and wounded more than 260.Azamat TazhayakovTazhayakov was already in federal custody before Wednesday on immigration charges.
Official: Body of suspected Boston bomber claimed
(CNN) -- The body of Boston bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was claimed Thursday afternoon, and will be picked up by a funeral home, according to Terrel Harris, spokesman for the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.Harris declined to release details as to who claimed the body or which funeral home was picking it up.Tsarnaev's cause of death will not be released until the death certificate is filed with the Boston city clerk, he said.
Three additional suspects detained in Boston bombings
BOSTON (CNN) -- Authorities said Wednesday that three additional suspects have been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings.
Bomb suspect's buddies covered for him, feds say
(CNN) -- Three friends of Boston Marathon bomb suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have been jailed on charges they tried to throw investigators off Tsarnaev's trail, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.Two of them, Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev, were already in federal custody on immigration charges, their lawyers told CNN.
Discussion under way on bombing suspect avoiding death penalty
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Some very preliminary talks have been under way "for the past few days" to potentially allow Boston bomb suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to resume providing investigators with information about the attacks in exchange for having the death penalty taken off the table, two government sources say.The sources said such initial communications between opposing sides on a range of procedural and other issues are standard procedure.Communications are in the very early stages, and not a sign lawyers for either side are ready to make a deal, said one source, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the private discussions.
Blast probe finds female DNA on bomb fragment, sources say
(CNN) -- Investigators have found traces of a woman's DNA on a fragment of one of the pressure cooker bombs used in the Boston Marathon bombings, law enforcement sources told CNN.But, they cautioned, that doesn't necessarily mean a woman might have conspired with brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who authorities say were behind the April 15 attack that killed three and injured more than 260.
FBI did its job in Tsarnaev probe, President Obama says
(CNN) -- Federal intelligence officials are looking at whether more could have been done to prevent the Boston Marathon attacks, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, though he added that he's not aware of any missteps."Based on what I can see so far, the FBI performed its duties.