People Lash Out at Funeral Home For Taking In Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s Body

Photo via Dyer Lake Funeral Home

After news spread that the body of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was being claimed by family members and moved from state custody, a search to find out where the body was going quickly ensued. And once it was discovered his remains were headed to a local funeral home, an outburst from the community soon followed.

Terrel Harris, spokesman for the state’s medical examiner’s office, says the body was claimed and released around 5:30 p.m. Thursday evening by a funeral service retained by the family. “We won’t release details of any arrangements. The cause of death will not be available until the funeral service files the death certificate, which could happen as early as Friday.”

Within hours of being removed from the state’s care, Tamerlan’s body moved to the Dyer-Lake Funeral Home in North Attleborough, employees confirmed.

A woman by the name of Nina, who would not give her last name, at the Dyer-Lake Funeral home said Tamerlan’s body is no longer there, but said it was “briefly there” on Thursday night, after being claimed by family members. The woman said the funeral home could not provide any additional information before hanging up the phone.

According to Julanne Joubert, who claims she was at the funeral home for a service when Tamerlan’s body arrived on Thursday night, protesters were outside picketing at Dyer-Lake. “[It was] gut wrenching. Just after my husband’s 39-year-old family member was waked. All about the dollar to the [funeral home],” Joubert said on her Twitter account around 10 p.m. Thursday night. She said as soon as Tamerlan’s remains arrived, “chaos started.”

Boston magazine reached out to Joubert, but we have not received a reply.

The Globe reports that protesters showed up wearing American flags, yelling at the funeral home as the other service was going on. While protests went on outside of Dyer-Lake, people took to the internet to last out on the funeral home’s social media accounts:

Some defended the choice of the funeral home directors, saying they were just doing their job, however:

There is no word on where Tamerlan will be buried at this time, but channel 5 reports his remains were moved to a Worcester facility. More information about Tamerlan’s funeral services, and the cause of death, are expected to come on Friday, May 3.

Tamerlan’s brother, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, is listed in fair condition at Fort Devins, where he remains in federal custody. Dzhokhar is accused of aiding his brother in the April 15 attack on Boylston Street, and is being charged with use of a weapon of mass destruction, resulting in death, as well as malicious destruction of property, resulting in death.