Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Burial Site In Virginia

The location of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s burial place was revealed on Friday, despite authorities’ attempts at concealing it. The Boston bombing suspect, who died in a shootout with police on April 19, was laid to rest in a cemetery in Virginia.

The internment this week at the Islamic cemetery ended a frustrating search by funeral director Peter Stefan, who accepted Tsarnaev’s body, and with it constant protests.

The burial place was confirmed by Tsarnaev’s uncle Ruslan Tsarni, as well as Imam Ammar Amonette of the Richmond-based Islamic Center of Virginia. Amonette added that the suspect was buried at Al-Barzakh Cemetery — a small cemetery in Doswell, Virginia.

Amonette added that his mosque is not connected to the small burial area, saying instead that it was arranged by 48-year-old Richmond resident Martha Mullen, who contacted the private cemetery independently after she heard reports on NPR that dozens of burial grounds refused to take the body of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

In an interview, Mullen explained that it was her Christian faith that motivated her to contact the cemetery and arrange the burial of the Boston bombing suspect. She added, “Jesus says love our enemies. So I was sitting in Starbucks and thought, maybe I’m the person who needs to do something.”

Along with his burial location, Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s death certificate was released on Friday. It showed the suspect was shot by police in the firefight on April 18. Then, he was run over and dragged by a vehicle. He died a few hours later on April 19. Authorities have said that Tamerlan was run over by his brother, Dzhokhar, as the 19-year-old tried to get away from police.

Because Tamerlan was pronounced dead at a hospital in Boston, he could have been buried there under state law. However, Boston officials would not take Tsarnaev’s body, because he lived in Cambridge. The Boston suburb also refused to take the body of the suspected Boston bomber.

His mother, who moved back to Dagestan, Russia last year, also stated that Russia would not allow his body in the country so she could bury him where he used to live.