Henry Borgard

Henry Borgard addressed the court on Day 67 in an unsworn victim-impact statement at sentencing. He said he had been walking home from work, rather than watching the marathon, when the explosions occurred. He recalled initially mistaking the first blast for a ceremonial cannon before hearing screams and seeing people flee.

Borgard described continuing nightmares, panic attacks, flashbacks and guilt about surviving while others were severely injured or killed. He said diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder and postconcussive syndrome had forced him to leave school, and that relearning to read took almost a year. He also described the fear his interrupted phone call after the bombing had caused his mother.

Borgard spoke about recovery alongside those continuing difficulties. He said he planned to return to studying English that fall, thanked those who had supported him and described the donation of his service dog, Friday. He told the court that he had found a way to forgive the defendant.