Joseph Craven

Joseph Craven delivered an unsworn victim impact statement at sentencing on Day 67, identifying himself as J.P. Craven. He said he had stood ten feet from the first bomb site on Boylston Street and was knocked unconscious, with ball-bearing injuries to his temple, nose, and calf. He described more than a year of medical appointments, hearing tests, surgical procedures, and follow-up care, along with extensive support during his recovery.

Craven said he did not know Tsarnaev personally but hoped he felt remorse and could use that understanding to influence people others could not reach. He urged those affected by the bombing to pursue peace and understanding rather than allow violence to deepen divisions. Acknowledging what he understood to be limits on the judge's sentencing discretion, he asked that the decisions still open to the court inspire positive change.