Tuesday, April 16, 2013

PHOTOS: Suspect Has Large, Black Backpack Before Bombing, Appears to Have Shed It Moments Later [Updated]

Fascinating photos and accompanying descriptions from Jim Hoft (depicting the site of the first explosion).

These photos from yesterday’s marathon were forwarded to me from a trusted source and came from a Japanese Flickr account. This photo here shows the Boston crowd before the bombing...



Interesting. Notice the female in white who appears to accompany the male, even as he seems to depart.

In the final photo, she almost seems in position to access the backpack.

Speculation, to be sure, but certainly intriguing.


Update: Some zooms. I've been staring at this first photo for a bit. Note both hands on the backpack straps, as if the weight is substantial and he's trying to relieve the pressure. Furthermore, notice that he's not paying the least bit of attention to the race (ostensibly the reason he's there). He's staring straight down, head jutting forward as if to offset the weight.

In the second photo, he no longer appears burdened with the backpack. He's standing straight up and his hands are not in view. Did his companion help him shed the backpack?





Update II: Two more spotted at Deadspin:



Is this the same man spotted passing by the site of the second explosion?



Update III: Yet another black backpack spotted at the scene, seen at Dan Riehl's site (via BadBlue News).



Update IV: What happens when you give 4chan images of the Boston Marathon?



Update V: Dan Riehl: Possible Marathon Bombing suspect:

Orr said authorities have video of a man in a black jacket on a cell phone, wearing a gray hoodie and a white baseball cap backwards placing a black bag at the second bomb site outside of the Forum restaurant on Boylston Street and then leaving the area before that explosion.

And Jim Hoft adds this to the mix:


Two more 4chan.



29 comments:

Reliapundit said...

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... fascinating...

Anonymous said...

In the picture where he doesn't have the backpack and the other backpack wearing guy is in the front, it almost looks like a backpack is on the ground right behind him. Look at the variation in color around his shoulder. Also, some of the people that were most severely hurt that I have seen in pictures are in these pictures.

Dan said...

As to the first photo...
I don't think his head is down due to the weight. I think he is taking a deep breath when faced with the enormity of the act he is about to commit.

Later, when he looks "relieved of some weight from his back", he is. He has commited to the act he is about to perpetrate.
5501 nmuga98

johnny gee said...

They look like occupy people-guess people who can afford to run a marathon must all be 1 percenters, eh?

Anonymous said...

You send this to the FBI already? One can't assume they've had the time to go through all of the photos and video...
How did you come across this out of curiousity?

Anonymous said...

Look at all the people in the second picture that were hurt in the blast! The silver haired guy, the black girl in pink I think, and is that the two brothers who were hurt talking to the girl that was killed? In the pics over on GP their is a guy in one of the bigger pics in front of a black woman w/green shirt,w/black hair right over by the building in a white jacket and it looks like something is by his feet. Could you look at that?

Chris Arsenault said...

Doug - is that a baby carriage being pushed by the partner/woman in white in the departure photo?

Anonymous said...

is that the backpack IN the baby carriage??

Anonymous said...

What caught my eye was the guy in the guy in the last photo. He looks like he is carrying a very large hiking pack. Why would you bring a backpack that large to watch the Boston Marathon?

Anonymous said...

Interesting, but look closer, could it be a stroller in the bag? In the one photo he is carrying it on his back, later, you can see the backpack is now being carried on his arm and a stroller is beside him..

Anonymous said...

Also, you can see a child in a stroller..

Anonymous said...

Wish I had a better look at the hairline on the lady in the white jacket. Is that a proper hairline or a headscarf?

Anonymous said...

INTEL FBI ATF
NICE SHOTS , VERY INTERESTING
YES WHERE ON IT

Anonymous said...

Furthermore, notice that he's not paying the least bit of attention to the race (ostensibly the reason he's there). He's staring straight down, head jutting forward as if to offset the weight.

Or maybe he's bored. I mean,seriously? Do you really think ANYONE there spent every single second focused only on the race and never looking in any other direction?

Anonymous said...

The exploded backpack provided by the FBI is not blue but black.

Anonymous said...

I DON'T THINK THE FBI WOULD SAY YES WHERE(MISSPELLED)

Anonymous said...

I noticed both backpacks look like they r same brand. See the white tag on top? Hope they catch whoever they r.

Anonymous said...

How do we even know that this is the spot where the explosion even occured??

Chris Arsenault said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Chris Arsenault said...

I did a street analysis using Google maps and other photos of the finish-line site. It's an exact match, given the brick-sidewalk, the light-post, the tree and the fenced-in vendor area with the bench a man is standing on.

Anonymous said...

What I most find interesting is in the Update II set of photos. The man with the very large black backpack, furthest from the street at the bottom of the frame, seems to standing right next to a police/security person on his right. If I was a guy with a very large backpack like that....I'd watch him closely and/or ask some simple questions to judge his demeanour.

Anonymous said...

*Meant to say if I was a cop/security officer with that guy next to me.....oops.

Anonymous said...

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57579984/images-show-what-fbi-says-are-parts-of-boston-marathon-bombs/

Anonymous said...

To be completely honest i think the update I photos are inconclusive totally. With those angles you cant tell if hes still wearing the backpack or not.

In update II, hes got the black backpack that police say were used and hes using a possible earpiece, which could be just mp3. But its more interesting

In update III, why is he carring a backpack like that... He seems the most suspicious.

Anonymous said...

one picshows no bag but blonde guy in front with backpack straps and long backpack like original, am i crazy?

Kathy from kansas said...

Very top photo: The guy has his head down, as if he's praying. Which you would expect if he's an Islamist terrorist just about to do something great for Allah.

Anonymous said...

Looks a lot like the weird guy from American Beauty. Hes the bombing type, right?

Anonymous said...

The man and woman seem to both be carrying backpacks (his dark, the woman's is light - appears a cream or light gray color maybe???) and I think the baby in the stroller is in front of them - not connected at all. In the close up shot there appears to be something on the ground behind his feet, and the woman is still carrying what appears to be a very heavy backpack. At least that's how I see it. Just observing the picture - not accusing anyone at all. Neither pack seem to match that of the photo circulating - the small black backpack with gray strips.

Anonymous said...

im the one in brown you guys are retarded I gave my brown sweatshirt to a runner and I gave the food out of bag to runners and im American ive had thank you all for the laugh