Boston bomber Dzhokar Tsarnaev has been thrown another lifeline by two of his victims . Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes , who lost limbs in the 2013 marathon , today opposed the death penalty as a means of punishment for their attacker , urging others to 'overcome the impulse for vengeance . ' The couple 's statement of compassion follows a similar appeal made by the family of an eight-year-old boy , Martin Richard , who was killed in the blast . His seven-year-old sister , Jane , lost a leg . This week , after finding Tsaernaev guilty on all 30 counts related to the April 15 , 2013 , attack , a jury will decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison without parole . 'We must overcome the impulse for vengeance ' : Married couple Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes have joined the appeals calling for Dzhokar Tsarnaev to be sentenced to life in prison rather than death . Emotional : The couple who lost a leg each in the blast said their position is highly emotional and practical . Moving on : Here they are pictured completing the Boston Marathon in wheelchairs on the one-year anniversary . In a statement to The Boston Globe , Kensky and Downes said : 'If there is anyone who deserves the ultimate punishment , it is the defendant . However , we must overcome the impulse for vengeance . ' They call their position 'intensely emotional and profoundly practical . ' The victims are n't the first to speak out against the death penalty in Tsarnaev 's high-profile trial . The Boston Globe editorial board issued similar sentiments and last week Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Tsarnaev should 'die in prison ' . Like the Richards , Kensky and Downes call for life in prison without parole or appeals to ensure Tsarnaev 'disappears from our collective consciousness as soon as possible . ' The Richards made their appeal in a moving op-ed for the Boston Globe , published last Tuesday , just a day after the two-year anniversary of their son Martin 's death . While the Richards say they are thankful to the government prosecutors for their 'tireless and committed ' work to bring justice , they are now asking them to drop the fight for execution and sign a plea deal to send the 21-year-old to jail for the rest of his life . No to execution : The family of bombing victim Martin Richard wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe , saying they oppose the death penalty for terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev . The family is pictured on the two-year anniversary of the attack . Clockwise from top left : Denise Richard , Bill Richard , Henry Richard and Jane Richard . Moments before : Martin Richard is seen circled in blue on the day of the Marathon . Behind him walks Tsarnaev , carrying a backpack believed to have held one of the two bombs . Brothers : Tsarnaev 's ( right ) defense attorneys have tried to paint him as secondary in a plot orchestrated by his extreme older brother Tamerlan ( left ) . Tamerlan died a few days after the bombing in a shootout with police . '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 , ' the Richards wrote . 'We hope our two remaining children do not have to grow up with the lingering , painful reminder of what the defendant took from them , which years of appeals would undoubtedly bring . ' They say sentencing Tsarnaev to death will only bring continued pain for themselves and the other hundreds of bombing victims . Victim : Martin Richard died at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 , 2013 . 'As long as the defendant is in the spotlight , we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms , not ours . 'The minute the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family , ' they wrote . The Richards brought their three kids out to watch the Marathon two years ago , and were standing just steps away from where Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan ( who died in a shootout with police a few days later ) dropped off two pressure cooker bombs . Little Martin died in the blasts and his sister Jane lost a leg . During the course of Tsarnaev 's trial , photos were shown in court of the moments before he dropped off a bomb in a backpack , strolling just behind the Richard family lined up against a gate at the finish line . On the day the op-ed was published , the Richard family revisited the finish line to take part in a memorial . The family were pictured hugging and crying at the emotional ceremony . The death penalty is outlawed in Massachusetts , where the trial is taking place , but since Tsarnaev is being judged in federal court , execution is still a sentencing option . However , experts say that the jurors may sway towards life in prison , considering the state 's generally liberally view on the controversial issue . Tsarnaev 's lead defense attorney is Judy Clarke , a woman who specializes in helping high-profile clients like the Unabomber escape the death penalty . Clarke and the rest of Tsarnaev 's legal team have been trying to paint their client as a gullible young man who was a secondary player in her older brother 's terrorist plot . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes call their view 'emotional and practical ' Their words come after similar statement from family of eight-year-old Martin Richards , who was killed in the blast , and his sister Jane who lost a leg . Jury will decide on Tuesday whether Dzhokar Tsarnaev gets death penalty . Two weeks ago he was found guilty on all 30 counts relating to the bombing .