Dzhokhar Tsarnaev murdered their 8-year-old son and permanently maimed their 7-year-old daughter , but Bill and Denise Richard do not want to see him executed . In a moving op-ed for the Boston Globe , published just a day after the two-year anniversary of their son Martin 's death , the Richards have asked that Tsarnaev be spared the death penalty so that they can finally get closure on the darkest chapter of their lives . Last week a jury found Tsarnaev guilty on all counts related to the April 15 , 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon finish line . The penalty phase of the trial starts next week , in which the jury will decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole . Scroll down for video . No to execution : The family of Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe , saying they oppose the death penalty for convicted terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev . The family pictured above on Tuesday , the two-year anniversary of the attack . Clockwise from top left : Denise Richard , Bill Richard , Henry Richard and Jane Richard . Victim : Martin Richard died at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15 , 2013 , after the Tsarnaev brothers set off twin pressure cooker bombs . 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 . '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 . '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 . Death or prison ? Last week , a jury found Tsarnaev ( center ) guilty on all charges related to the attack . Next week marks the beginning of the penalty phase of the trial in which the jury will decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison . Tsarnaev pictured above in a court sketch from April 6 . 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 . 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 Tuesday , 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 Richards 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 ' . 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 . All together : Above , Bill and Denise Richard pictured with their three children before losing Martin ( bottom right ) in the bombing . Brothers : Tsarnaev 's ( right ) defense attorneys have tried to paint him as secondary in a plot orchestrated by his more extreme older brother Tamerlan ( left ) . Tamerlan died a few days after the bombing in a shootout with police .
Bill and Denise Richard wrote an op-ed opposing the death penalty for Tsarnaev in the Boston Globe on Thursday . The couple said they were "shocked by this senseless act of violence" that left their son dead. They want prosecutors to sign a plea deal , sending Tsarnaev to prison for the rest of his life and forfeiting his right to appeal . Last week , Tsarnaev was found guilty on all counts related to the April 15 , 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line . Next week starts the penalty phase of the trial , in which jurors will decide Tsarnaev 's sentence .