In Boston Marathon bombings, spectators' pictures could hold crucial clues

Investigators into the Boston Marathon bombings note that hundreds of spectators were taking pictures and videos at the time, and surveillance and network cameras were rolling, too. They hope one of those images could help crack the case.

By Mark Trumbull,?Staff writer / April 16, 2013

Local TV channel WBZ caught one of the explosions Monday at the Boston Marathon on camera. Investigators hope other images taken by spectators, surveillance, or networks before the blast could help answer key questions.

WBZTV/AP

Enlarge

Law enforcement officials said the investigation of the Boston Marathon bombings will seek to take full advantage of the fact that hundreds of spectators were shooting photos and videos around the time of the twin blasts.

Skip to next paragraph

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

The crime scene ? right near the finish line ? was one of the world?s busiest photography scenes. Not only were marathon fans snapping photos and videos, but surveillance cameras in nearby stores and cameras filming the race for TV networks were positioned near the finish line.

?We would like to review any kind of media that you have out there,? said Richard DesLauriers, the FBI special agent leading a multiagency investigation into Monday's attack.

The quest for digital media is just one piece of an investigation that also includes interviewing witnesses and analyzing the explosives. But it could be an important piece, given the sheer quantity of images from the scene.

Several speakers at a Tuesday morning briefing by officials in Boston emphasized the call for spectators to come forward with images, even if those images may seem insignificant or were taken well before the explosions that occurred at 2:50 p.m. along Boylston Street in Boston?s Back Bay neighborhood.

?Tell us what time those photos were taken,? added Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, seeking to simplify the work of investigators sifting through the images. He said images taken close to the explosions, in time and space, would probably have greater value than those farther removed from it.

The morning briefing provided few hints of where the investigation may be heading.

Mr. DesLauriers of the FBI said his team received numerous tips to pursue, but cautioned that the investigation would take time. The several-block crime scene alone ?is going to take several days to process.?

Federal and local officials called for patience and cooperation from the public. And they voiced determination in pursuing justice after an act that killed three spectators and left 176 people insured, according to a tally Tuesday morning.

?This will be worldwide investigation,? DesLauriers said. ?We will go to the ends of the earth to identify the subject or subjects [responsible] and to bring them to justice.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/K4aom1BsTWQ/In-Boston-Marathon-bombings-spectators-pictures-could-hold-crucial-clues

work hard play hard tim ferriss wmt human nature arkansas football blackhawks howard johnson