Sonya Petri

Sonya Petri read documentary evidence for the defense as a sworn witness during the penalty-phase presentation. A Federal Defender's Office paralegal, she presented FBI interview summaries, government reports, translated writings, and a summary she prepared from Anzor Tsarnaev's medical records. Her role was to read and identify documents, not to offer firsthand observations of the reported events or clinical diagnoses.

On Day 54, Petri read Magomed Dolakov's reported disagreements with Tamerlan over Islam, Tamerlan's reported interest in joining the mujahidin, and his reported approval of a funeral bombing in Ingushetia. The reports also described Dolakov's limited contact with Dzhokhar and his account that Dzhokhar was quiet around Tamerlan. On cross-examination, William Weinreb had Petri read an additional passage reporting that Dzhokhar wanted to visit Russia and was tired of America; Dolakov believed Dzhokhar had said he was studying mechanical engineering. Petri also read Viskhan Vakhabov's account of Tamerlan's changing religious views and advocacy of violent jihad after overseas travel. Vakhabov did not know the purpose of that travel. The court explained Petri's reading role and retained the reading procedure rather than admitting the offered Dolakov report as a document.

On Day 55, Petri read government reports describing Russian warnings about Tamerlan, an FBI assessment in 2011 that found no links to terrorism, subsequent watchlisting, and travel to Russia without further investigative steps. She read Magomed Kartashov's reported concerns about Tamerlan's interest in jihad and Internet influences, followed by religious and combat-related passages from translated documents and portions of a handwritten notebook page. The court limited questioning beyond her reading role and cautioned jurors about the interview report's nature and limits.

On Day 59, Petri read medical-record entries describing Anzor's psychiatric symptoms before an August 2009 assault, the resulting skull fracture and hemorrhage, surgery, and continuing functional impairments. An April 2012 physician's letter stated that he could not work and needed constant supervision and support. Four additional medical-record exhibits were admitted without objection, and Petri's treatment summary was admitted as Exhibit 3523 after David Bruck corrected the exhibit number.