Keller @ Large: Death Penalty For Boston Marathon Bomber
BOSTON (CBS) - I know I once said I opposed the death penalty for Dzkokhar Tsarnaev, the admitted Boston Marathon mass murderer.
But after following the case against him, I've changed my mind.
Closing arguments in his trial will be on Monday, and we can expect the defense to lay the groundwork for the only part of this case they are contesting, the government's call for capital punishment. While I do support the death penalty in certain extreme cases, I opposed it here because it forced a long, costly trial when he could have already begun his well-deserved life sentence rotting in prison.
But it turns out the trial was worth it, not just for the meticulous proof of his guilt, but for what it revealed about his character.
Dzhokar Tsarnaev is a sociopath.
According to reporters who've been in the courtroom, he has shown no emotion at all as the images and physical evidence of his barbarous cruelty have been displayed. His affect is indifference, boredom – the carnage he caused appears to mean nothing to him.
An immature kid – which is what his lawyers will try to persuade the jury he really is, instead of a cold-blooded killer – might be able to keep up that facade some of the time.
But Dzhokar is consistent, quite mature in his convictions, really. He's glad he killed and maimed all those infidels.
So, as I say, I've changed my mind.
Only one punishment fits this crime, and it isn't a life spent pumping iron and reading fan mail from other sociopaths.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
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