Midday Roundup: Bombing victims oppose death penalty for Tsarnaev

Plea for mercy. The parents of the youngest person killed in the Boston Marathon bombing have asked federal prosecutors not to seek the death penalty for convicted bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Bill and Denise Richards’ 8-year-old son Martin died in the April 2013 attack, and their 7-year-old daughter, Jane, lost a leg. In a front-page editorial in today’s Boston Globe, the Richardses encouraged prosecutors to offer Tsarnaev life in prison if he waives his right to further appeal his conviction. “We know that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives,” they said. The penalty phase of Tsarnaev’s trial is set to begin Tuesday. Prosecutor Carmen Ortiz responded to the parents’ statement, telling the Globe she is considering the views of all the victims as the case moves forward.

Political ambition. The CEO of Indianapolis-based Angie’s List has resigned in the aftermath of the collision between religious freedom and gay rights in Indiana. Angie’s List, the company that publishes the popular review website for local service providers, publicly opposed the state’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act. CEO and co-founder Bill Oesterle announced his resignation this week, saying he wants to enter politics to help restore the state’s image, which he says was tarnished in the RFRA debate. The Indianapolis Star quoted a local expert who predicted Oesterle could attempt to unseat Republican Gov. Mike Pence, either by running for governor himself or finding a challenger to support.

Going public. The website WikiLeaks on Thursday published an archive of documents allegedly stolen from Sony Pictures Entertainment in a hack attack last year that the United States blamed on North Korea. Sony accused WikiLeaks of making itself an accomplice in the crime, but WikiLeaks said it was doing a public service by releasing the documents, which prove Sony has substantial political power in the U.S. “The Sony Archives show that behind the scenes this is an influential corporation, with ties to the White House … with an ability to impact laws and policies, and with connections to the U.S. military-industrial complex.”

Sober anniversary. Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Timothy McVeigh placed the truck bomb outside the Alfred P. Murrah federal building, where 168 people died in the explosion. McVeigh was executed in June 2001 for the crime. “When faced with anguish, Oklahomans thrived,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said in remembrance of the tragedy. “We did not allow our hope to fade. Our state experienced firsthand Psalm 34:18, which says, ‘the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.