Shock: Deceased Bomber Suspect Was Married With a Baby — Here’s More About His Wife and Child
Watch breaking news coverage here. Reports indicate second suspect may be "down."
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Tamerlan Tsamaev waits for a decision in the 201-pound division boxing match during the 2009 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions May 4, 2009 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit: Getty Images
In a story that continues to have some bizarre twists and turns (many of them are documented here), the Daily Mail is claiming to have pertinent information about a bombshell allegation that's been floating around in media: The notion that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the deceased Boston terror suspect, is married and has a three-year-old daughter.
Tsarnaev was, according to the report, regularly seen at 24-year-old Katherine Russell's family home in Rhode Island -- that is, until about one year ago when neighbors claim that they no longer observed him visiting.
The central claim is that Russell married Tsarnaev and that the two have a three-year-old daughter together named Zahara.
Initially, family members, including a woman who the Daily Mail claims matches Katherine's description, said "no comment" when media questioned them at the Rhode Island home. But, later in the day, that changed.
The family issued a statement tonight responding to -- and seemingly substantiating -- the allegations. Without speaking, Katherine's mother handed a statement to reporters. It read:
"Our daughter has lost her husband today, the father of her child. We cannot begin to comprehend how this horrible tragedy occurred. In the aftermath of the Patriot's Day horror, we know that we never really knew Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Our hearts are sickened by the knowledge by the horror he has inflicted. Please respect our family's privacy in this difficult time."
Neighbors have not been so quiet, though, with at least one claiming that the FBI and police were at the Russell family home early this morning. The source gave additional information about the family.
"I knew Katherine was married and she had converted to Islam," one of the neighbors told the Daily Mail. "She went away to college about three or four years ago and I saw her a year later and she was dressed in the Islamic style. Her hair was covered and she was wearing very baggy, flowy clothing."
The person went on to cite frequently seeing the girl with a man who she assumed was her "partner." The two allegedly visited the family on weekends and, according to the source, may have lived in Boston.
Photo Credit: Daily Mail/Facebook
"They were always together and had a little girl, who must be about three now," the person said, noting that the duo hadn't been seen together for the past year. "She moved back home and was living at home with the baby."
The brothers' aunt, Maret Tsarnaeva, made comments earlier in the day about her nephew having a child and a wife -- her words sparking numerous questions about these claims.
Read more about the claims captured by the Daily Mail here.
(H/T: Daily Mail)
