Federal agents were reportedly able to question Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for two days before he was read his Miranda rights and stopped talking, but they still want more information from him, and might be willing to make a deal to get it. Two government sources tell CNN that talks have been underway for the past few days to have Tsarnaev continue speaking with investigators in return for prosecutors agreeing not to seek the death penalty.
The sources stressed that talks between prosecutors and Tsarnaev’s lawyers are still in the very early stages, and any deal would be a long way off. It’s normal for the two sides to begin communicating at this point, and a Justice Department official denied that they’re working out a deal. “The notion that we are engaging in discussions over a penalty is not accurate,” the official said. “As far as I know, there are no negotiations.” Clearly Tsarnaev’s legal team is still preparing for the possibility that no deal will materialize, as they just added a death penalty expert.
