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May 11th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
The brothers’ uncle, Ruslan Tsarni, took responsibility for the body after
Tamerlan’s wife, Katherine Russell, said she wanted it released to her
in-laws. He said his nephew was buried in a cemetery in Doswell with the
help of a faith coalition.
“The body’s buried,” he said. “That’s it.”
Tsarni has denounced the acts his nephews are accused of committing and has
said they brought shame to the family and the entire Chechen community.
Dozens of communities approached about hosting a gravesite had refused, many
with concerns about gravesite vandalism and backlash from the public.
Police in Massachusetts announced Thursday that “as a result of our public
appeal for help, a courageous and compassionate individual came forward to
provide the assistance needed to properly bury the deceased.”
Martha Mullen in Virginia told The Associated Press in a brief telephone
interview that she offered to help after seeing news reports about the
refusals. She said she is not the only person who helped with arrangements.
“It was an interfaith effort,” she said. “Basically because Jesus says love
your enemies.”
The cemetery is in rural woods and hills just north of Richmond, the state
capital, and contains only 47 graves. Two appeared newly dug, but neither
had any kind of marking.
On one of the new graves lay a vase full of roses at one end and a single red
rose at the other end. The other new grave was bare.
Sheriff Tony Lippa and Board of Supervisors chairman Floyd Thomas of rural
Caroline County said no state or local officials were told that Tsarnaev
would be buried there.
Permission is not required from officials as long as laws are followed. The
officials said they don’t want the county remembered as the resting place
for someone tied to a horrific act, but there’s likely nothing they can do.
Desecrating the grave is a felony, Lippa said.
Imam Ammar Amonette, of the Islamic Center of Virginia, said his group was
never consulted and that Mullen reached out to a separate group, the Islamic
Society of Greater Richmond.
“The whole Muslim community here is furious. Frankly, we are furious that we
were never given any information. It was all done secretly behind our
backs,” Amonette said, adding it “makes no sense whatsoever” that Tsarnaev’s
body was buried in Virginia.
“Now everybody who’s buried in that cemetery, their loved ones are going to
have to go to that place,” he said.
The Islamic Society of Greater Richmond didn’t immediately respond to an email
seeking confirmation that it was involved in the burial.
At least one neighbor was unaware the cemetery was even there.
Jaquese Goodall said a rope usually blocks the gravel road leading to the
cemetery. She had no idea when the body was buried and never saw hearses
enter or leave the property.
“If they didn’t want him in Boston, why did they bring him all the way down
here against our wishes?” said Goodall, 21.
Tsarnaev’s death certificate was released Friday. It showed he was shot by
police in the firefight the night of April 18 and run over and dragged by a
vehicle. He died a few hours later on April 19. Authorities have said his
brother ran over him in his getaway attempt.
His mother said Russia refused to allow his body into the country so she could
bury him in her native Dagestan, but Russian authorities would not comment
on that contention.
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