Ship of Fools--Boston Bomber's Scrawled Confession

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev surrendering in boat after manhunt   [photo: AFP/CBS News]

While Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was held up hiding in a backyard boat in Watertown, MA after the Boston Marathon Bombing, he scrawled a confession.  The U.K.’s Daily Mail reports that the 19 year old thought that he was dying while hiding from the police.  Tsarnaev found a pen where he was hiding from the police and wrote on the interior wall of the boat.

The younger Boston Bomber’s apologia reveals that Dzhokar did not mourn his brother Tamerlan’s death as he was a martyr living in paradise.  Dzhokhar opined that he expected to join his brother soon.  Of course, Dzhokar may have been confused about his final destination.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev claimed that the bombings were retribution for American actions against Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The younger Boston Bomber claimed that the three innocent civilians killed and the 175 people maimed by the  Boston Bombings were “collateral damage”, like the thousands of Muslims who were victims of American violence.  Dzhokhar defiantly declared: "When you attack one Muslim, you attack all Muslims.”

 Abdul Ali Alharbi [photo: Okaz]

CBS News reported that investigators were interpreting this note as evidence that the Tsarnaev Brothers  were self-radicalized and that they were not Chechen stooges for a broader jihadist plot.  How convenient.  But what about the hub of strange activity surrounding Abdul Ali Alharbi, the well connected Saudi student hospitalized with burnt hands after the Boston Bombing who was then set to be deported by ICE under section 202 (3)(b) for “Terrorist Activities”?   Out of sight, (out of country), out of mind?




The confession could be key in prosecuting Tsarnaev, as it was composed prior to a Magistrate interrupting the FBI interrogation to read the perpetrator his criminal rights.  Of course, this note is riddled with bullet holes from Dzhokar’s action packed capture. 

Boat owner David Henneberry

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was discovered alive because David Henneberry went outside to smoke after the  the shelter in place order was lifted during the Boston Bomber  manhunt and he checked on his beloved boat.  When Henneberry noticed that his winterized boat had been disturbed, he checked out his vessel.  On the second inspection, Henneberry discovered the bloodied Dzhokhar.    

Between the scrawled confession and the bullet holes, Henneberry is not getting his boat back in the water anytime soon.   There was a social media drive to buy Henneberry a new boat.  But he considers himself an incidental hero.   

It makes me feel wonderful that people that are thinking like that, but it is my boat. People lost lives and lost limbs. I'd rather that (the money) go to the One Fund Boston. To buy me a new boat is a wonderful thing, I don't want that, really. I would wish that they donate it to the One Fund Boston. They lost limbs. I lost a boat.

Henneberry also seemed philosophical about losing his boat– "Slip Away is slipping away. But I say it did its job. It held a bad guy and is going away like a viking ship."  But considering the confession scrawled on the boat, it seems less of a Viking Ship and more of a Ship of Fools which should carry the caught conspirator to justice. 


If the Boston Bombing investigators are seriously pursuing the theory that the Tsarnaevs acted alone and letting other conspirators "slip away", they themselves are lost at sea on a ship of fools.  Unfortunately, such a pleasure cruise could run America’s ship of state aground.