Buster

FBI Evidence Photo Shows Boston Bomb Suspect Standing Near Child Later Killed In Marathon Blast

In a chilling image obtained by the FBI, one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects can be seen standing behind the young boy who was killed by one of Monday’s terror blasts, The Smoking Gun has learned.

A cropped version of that image (seen at right) was among the photos of suspect #2 that were released this afternoon by federal investigators. The suspect, a male wearing a white baseball cap, is highlighted inside a circle in the FBI evidence photo.

A nearly identical image to the FBI’s source photo shows a group of spectators watching the April 15 race at a sidewalk barricade in front of 775 Boylston Street, where the second bomb was detonated.

The photo, reproduced below, shows suspect #2 lurking several feet away from the metal barricade (and behind a trio of young women). Immediately to the left of the women is Martin Richard, the eight-year-old Dorchester boy who was killed by the explosion. To the child’s right is his seven-year-old sister Jane, who lost a leg in the blast.

The children were at the race cheering on their father, who ran in the marathon. According to the Boston Globe, the Richard family had watched most of the race from a spot several blocks away from the Copley Square finish line. However, after an ice cream break, they moved closer to the end of the course, ending up against the barrier in front of the apartment building at 775 Boylston Street.

The photo of suspect #2 and the Richard children was unearthed by one of the much-maligned online sleuths congregating on a Reddit page devoted to chasing bombing clues. The site habitué highlighted suspect #2, the young victim, and what appears to be a backpack on the sidewalk.