Boston Marathon bombing suspect heads to first public court appearance

BOSTON – Survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing will watch as the young man who could face the death penalty for the attack appears in court for the first time since he was found hiding in a boat in a suburb days after the April 15 explosion.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s arraignment will be held Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Boston. The 19-year-old has been charged with using a weapon of mass destruction in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 260.

Tsarnaev hasn’t appeared publicly since his April 19 arrest. His initial court hearing was held at a hospital, where he was recovering from injuries suffered in a confrontation with police that killed his brother and alleged co-conspirator.

Tsarnaev escaped but was found in the drydocked boat in Watertown.