Kimberly Franks

Kimberly Franks testified for the prosecution on Day 38 and Day 39 about the April 21, 2013 search of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room at Pine Dale Hall. An FBI supervisory special agent assigned as a searcher, she authenticated the room diagram, photographs, and recovered objects through her observations and evidence labels bearing her name and initials. She explained that personal papers identified Tsarnaev's side of the shared room.

Under Nadine Pellegrini's questioning, Franks identified evidence including BB-gun packaging, receipts, phones, a thumb drive, clothing, and a white hat. She agreed that the hat shown in displayed images was consistent with the recovered hat's styling, number, and logo. Her comparison did not conclusively identify it as the same object. The court admitted the dorm-room portion of Exhibit 620 after Miriam Conrad preserved the search objection and challenged its use as an exhibit rather than a chalk.

On continued direct examination, Franks identified a notebook, a book, copper BBs, and a Megabanger firework. The notebook and book were admitted without objection. The court overruled the preserved objection to the BBs and admitted the firework after Conrad indicated the same objection.

On cross-examination, Franks confirmed that the fireworks were in plain view, the white Polo cap was on the bed, and the Dick's Sporting Goods receipt was for the BB gun. She agreed that she found no actual firearms, actual ammunition, or gun-cleaning kit. A photograph of the room's door was admitted without objection. On redirect, she said she did not know who made the door decorations or when they were placed. The court then excused her.