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Widow of Boston Marathon Bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev Starts New Life in New Jersey
Katherine Russell, the widow of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, has reportedly embarked on a new life in New Jersey with a new partner. In an exclusive report, the Daily Mail revealed that Russell, now 36, is residing in a suburban community with Ahmad Alarabi, an entrepreneur of Jordanian descent who founded a mobile phone repair business.
New Relationship for Katherine Russell
Russell was observed with Alarabi in a residential area, marking 12 years since the devastating Boston Marathon bombing carried out by brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The 2013 attack, considered the most significant act of terrorism on U.S. soil since 9/11, resulted in three fatalities and over 260 injuries when pressure cooker bombs were detonated near the marathon’s finish line.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a confrontation with law enforcement following the bombing, while Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended and is currently serving a federal death sentence at ADX Florence, a maximum-security prison in Colorado.
Life in Suburban New Jersey
Russell appeared solemn while running errands near her rented residence in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. She briefly smiled while interacting with her youngest child outside the home before escorting them into her SUV.
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Katherine Russell, the widow of Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is living in New Jersey and has moved on with a new man and a new life.
Despite declining to comment on her current situation when approached by a Daily Mail reporter, family sources indicate that Russell has moved forward from the traumatic bombing incident. They maintain her assertions of ignorance regarding the terrorist plot.
Family Perspectives on Russell’s Current Life
“She is a significantly changed individual compared to her past,” stated a relative of Russell. “I believe she has found happiness and contentment as a wife and mother with a stable partner, a stark contrast to the controlling and radical influence she previously experienced.”
The relative disclosed to the Daily Mail that Russell still experiences “profound sadness” concerning the attack that claimed the lives of eight-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell, and 23-year-old Lingzi Lu, in addition to causing injuries to hundreds.
“She consistently claims to have been unaware, yet she continues to feel immense remorse,” the relative stated, noting infrequent contact with Russell. “She was young and in a domineering marriage, working extensive hours to financially support him. The bombing transpired, and she faced accusations of involvement. Tamerlan irrevocably damaged her life.”
Past Suspicions and Scrutiny
Following the bombing, Russell faced intense scrutiny, as authorities and the public questioned her potential knowledge of the attack orchestrated by Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. Investigators revealed that the pressure cooker bombs were partially assembled in the kitchen of the couple’s apartment.
Russell appeared stony faced while running errands at her rented home in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.
Russell, 36, was spotted out with her new partner, Ahmad Alarabi, a Jordanian-born entrepreneur who founded a company that repairs and unlocks cell phones.
Russell’s legal representative argued that her demanding work schedule as a home health aide, averaging 80 hours per week, rendered her oblivious to the Tsarnaev brothers’ activities. She purportedly learned about the bombing and her husband’s demise through news reports.
Despite never being formally charged in connection with the bombings, Russell, then 24, was initially cooperative with law enforcement. However, authorities asserted that she eventually ceased communication and did not testify against her former brother-in-law. Nevertheless, evidence suggested her awareness of her husband’s radical views.
Transformation and Early Life
Growing up in Rhode Island, Katherine Russell was known as Katie to her friends. A friend from her youth described her to The Daily Mail in 2013 as an “all-American girl” in high school who was “brainwashed” by her radicalized husband.
Her high school motto was “Do something about it or stop complaining,” and she aspired to attend college and join the Peace Corps. Her life trajectory shifted dramatically upon meeting Tsarnaev, who was described as a disillusioned individual who emigrated from the troubled region of Chechnya.
Evidence of Radicalization
During Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s trial, a computer forensics expert testified that internet searches on Russell’s computer included queries about the rewards awaiting spouses of martyrs in the afterlife. Following her husband’s death in the bombing aftermath, Russell became a widowed mother to two-year-old Zahara Tsarnaev.
Return to Family and Subsequent Independence
Without alternative housing options, she moved in with her parents, Warren and Judith Russell, in Rhode Island. She maintained regular contact with her younger sisters, Anna and Rebecca. Ultimately, diverging religious viewpoints between the Russell family and their Muslim daughter led to her departure from their home within a year.
Suburban Existence in New Jersey
Russell has since established a tranquil suburban existence with her new partner in a modest white house, situated approximately 10 miles from Manhattan and less than six miles from her previous residence with her sister-in-law’s relatives, Ailina and Bella.
Property records indicate the house was sold to a rental company in 2022 for $375,000 and listed for rent at $3,000 per month in early 2023. Children’s bicycles and toys are scattered in the backyard of the well-kept three-bedroom property. A green wreath adorns the front door. Alarabi is often seen leaving the premises separately from Russell throughout the day.
Zahara, now 14, was not observed accompanying her mother or stepfather, while her two younger siblings were present in the car.
Brothers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev planted and detonated pressure cooker bombs they made in the kitchen of their Massachusetts home at the Boston Marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.
While Russell’s family refer to Ahmad Alarabi (above) as her husband, it is not clear if they are legally married.
Russell’s family says she has ‘deep sadness’ when she thinks of the attack that killed three and injured hundreds of others.
Russell was under a cloud of suspicion during the investigation into the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11, but has insisted she had no idea her husband was plotting the bombing.
Alarabi walks to a car outside Russell’s rented home in New Jersey, where the widow of Tamerlan Tsarnaev has tried to start a new life.
In 2013, a friend of Russell told The Daily Mail that she was an ‘all-American girl’ in high school and had been ‘brainwashed’ by her extremist husband.
(Left to right) Eight-year-old Martin Richard, 29-year-old Krystle Campbell and 23-year-old graduate student Lingzi Lu were killed in the attack.
Limited Public Interactions and Hijab
Upon approach outside her home, Russell quickly retreated inside, carrying a bag of ice, and curtly refused to speak to The Daily Mail.
Russell in a mugshot in 2007 after she was arrested for shoplifting $67 of Old Navy merchandise at 18. The charges were later dropped after she paid a fine.
The mother’s physical appearance remains largely unchanged since her last public sighting, and she continues to wear a hijab.
Strained Relations with Tsarnaev Family
A Tsarnaev family member indicated that relations deteriorated after Russell began dating Alarabi. “She has severed ties with us,” commented a source from the Tsarnaev family. “She is now in another relationship, and there is nothing more to elaborate on. Communication has ceased.”
The family source suggested the breakdown in relations between Russell and the Tsarnaevs is irreversible. “The separation was not amicable,” the Tsarnaev source noted. “She has found a new partner, and that marks the end of our connection.”
Alarabi, who graduated from Al-Balqaʼ Applied University is a government-supported university located in Salt, Jordan, emigrated to the U.S. several years ago, says the Russell family member.
Marital Status Unclear
While Russell’s family members refer to Alarabi as her husband, their legal marital status in New Jersey remains unconfirmed. The Daily Mail has not been able to verify a marriage license for the couple.
Alarabi’s Background and Russell’s Well-being
Alarabi, an alumnus of Al-Balqaʼ Applied University in Jordan, immigrated to the United States several years ago, according to Russell’s family member. “He is considerably more lenient than Tamerlan was,” the Russell relative remarked. “I believe she is significantly happier now than in the past. She has endured considerable hardship and is now leading a peaceful and tranquil life.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s Conviction and Sentencing
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19 years old at the time of the bombings, was convicted of multiple charges, including use of a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death, conspiracy, and 29 additional terrorism-related offenses. He was found guilty on all 30 counts and received a death sentence.