Day 39 - March 25, 2015

Franks identified a notebook, book, copper BBs, and a firework recovered from the dorm room. All four exhibits were admitted, with the prior objection preserved for the BBs and firework.

Franks confirmed that recovered items were visible and that no actual firearms, ammunition, or gun-cleaning kit were found. A dorm-room door photograph was admitted.

Franks did not know who made the door decorations or when they were put there.

Derks authenticated Norfolk Street search evidence. The Court limited the residence caption and computer admission, excluded a government pleading, and ordered an exhibit-number audit.

Derks qualified his search knowledge and photograph recollections. The Court limited notebook evidence, excluded the Sovereign publication, and admitted Tamerlan's travel receipt.

Derks confirmed identifying documents in Room H but declined a handwriting comparison. The Court overruled a scope objection, and two exhibit numbers were corrected.

Derks confirmed household materials associated with Tamerlan and Katherine Tsarnaev. A fingerprint question was excluded, and an identification exhibit was renumbered.

Fierabend compared pressure-cooker and BB purchases with GPS stops but could not identify the purchasers. He also described records associated with Tamerlan, backpack receipts, and contested exhibit and holster questions.

The defense objected to holster-related hearsay involving a receipt and requested an instruction telling jurors to disregard the mention.

Fierabend confirmed that one shopper bought two backpacks at Target and qualified his identification of Tamerlan. Five defense images were admitted; vehicle evidence and receipt verification were also examined.

Fierabend clarified vehicle registrations and acknowledged that the examined evidence did not identify vehicle users or who placed items inside.

Counsel disputed whether the holster receipt was in evidence and whether using it would permit government questions about recovery of a holster.

Benton described recovering a backpack at Crapo Landfill. The backpack, thumb drive, fireworks, and seven photographs were admitted; he clarified the limits of his initial inspection.

Benton confirmed landfill compaction, rain, and machinery use before the search, but had not seen the backpack's contents before disposal.

Benton confirmed that the friend was named Dias and that he learned the information about collecting the belongings later.

Counsel debated the need for testimony verifying Russian document translations that the defense said were already in evidence.

LaFond explained Russian translation review and its limits. Three exhibits were admitted, including a handgun-guide translation and translated computer file names.

LaFond acknowledged not researching the origins of two translated phrases but rejected Fick's proposed alternative reading. The Court limited further questioning about wordplay.

Shishani explained Chechen surname forms and Arabic terms. Exhibit 1407 was admitted without objection, with translation-context limitations acknowledged.

Shishani agreed that Chechen speakers commonly use Arabic expressions without speaking Arabic.

Williams read admitted text messages and laptop Internet records, acknowledged limits to her review, and confirmed that the January correspondent was not Tamerlan.

Williams could not identify Tima as Tamerlan and corrected counsel's description of a message. Additional conversation pages were marked for identification, with admission left for review.

Counsel discussed next-day explosives witnesses, search-item authentication, a longer text-conversation exhibit, and scheduling if the government finished the next day.

Counsel discussed showing Martin Richard's clothing, the government's Rule 12.2 motion, and defense requests for information supporting the government's earlier assertions about Tsarnaev's residence at 410 Norfolk.