Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Wife Learned About Bombing Suspect On TV

Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s American wife was stunned to learn that the FBI was seeking the man to which she was married in connection with the Boston Marathon bombing the way we all learned — on TV.

Katherine Russell is Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s wife, and, until now, she’s remained a relatively unexamined aspect of the Boston Marathon bombing aftermath. Russell was not estranged from Tamerlan at the time of the attack and his subsequent death and even saw her husband the day he died before she left for work.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s wife — who converted to Islam after the pair met — has been out of the media’s intense glare following the tense events of last week, but the young woman has retained a lawyer as the life of the now-deceased Tamerlan is dissected in the wake of the bombings.

Amato DeLuca is Katherine Russell Tsarnaev’s attorney, and he spoke little to press about the woman’s role in the investigation.

DeLuca says his client was not aware of anything out of the ordinary in the weeks leading up to the attack. When asked if Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s wife saw anything unusual, he answered:

“Not as far as I know … When this allegedly was going on, she was working, and had been working all week to support her family.”

The development is definitely somewhat unexpected — as Tamerlan Tsarnaev has been depicted in media reports as an isolated young man who, at 26, had failed to integrate with American society. (Some media sources say the older Tsarnaev brother “didn’t have one” American friend.)

News that not only did Tamerlan Tsarnaev had an American wife, but one that converted to Islam for her marriage, seems incongruent with the picture painted of the man killed in a Thursday night clash with cops in media reports.

DeLuca confirms: “[Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s wife] believes in the tenets of Islam and of the Koran. She believes in God.”

It is unclear to what degree Tsarnaev’s wife will assist in the investigation.