Lawyer says Wahlberg movie unfair to Boston bomber’s widow

She has never been charged with any wrongdoing, and her lawyer has said repeatedly that she didn’t suspect anything before the bombings.

In one scene in the Mark Wahlberg film, Russell is shown being defiant as an investigator grills her on whether there are more bombs. The movie character also refuses to answer questions and asks for a lawyer but is told she has no right to one.

Richard DesLauriers, who was special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division during the bombings, told The Associated Press he believes the portrayal is on base.

“I have no reason whatsoever to believe that anything about this aspect of the movie is inaccurate,” said DesLauriers, who is no longer with the FBI.

DeLuca said Russell willingly sat down with authorities multiple times, including in the hours after her husband was killed. She also talked eight to 10 times with three Washington-based anti-terror investigators during meetings at the kitchen table in her parents’ home in Rhode Island as well as at his law office in Providence, he said.

“It was always very cordial. It was always very co-operative. Good people,” he said this week of the Washington-based investigators.

DeLuca said it was unfair to focus on the moments of turmoil in the hours after her husband was killed when she was frightened and confused by what had happened, while ignoring the months she spent answering questions, reviewing photographs and offering other help.

“It just feeds into this belief that people like Katie would place themselves above the country and above their patriotism, because she’s a Muslim,” he said. “She did what any of us would have done.”

Russell has since moved to New Jersey with her daughter.

Her brother-in-law’s trial revealed that before her husband went to Russia in 2012, someone had done searches on her computer on the rewards of dying as a martyr’s spouse. Russell’s friend testified about a text exchange they had her day of the attacks, in which Russell told her that as far as she knew, Tamerlan was at home and said more people are killed every day in Syria.

During a news conference last week, producer Michael Radutzky said the interrogation scene was “triple-sourced from multiple authorities” based on “significant reporting about her behaviour, her affect, her manner and the words she had to say.” Director Peter Berg said there were “unresolved issues” with Russell, and it was hard to understand how someone living in a small apartment with the bombers could not have known what was going on.

He said he had asked to speak with Russell. DeLuca said it was not in her best interest to do so.

“I’m not interested in making a movie,” DeLuca said. “Why invite speculation from the public? We answered all the questions from the FBI and from the terrorist task force.”

The film ends with updates on where the characters are now, 3 1/2 years after the bombings. Russell’s reads: “Law enforcement continues to seek information on Katherine Russell’s possible involvement in the bombing.”

“That’s news to me,” DeLuca said. “No one has made any suggestion that’s what’s going on. Obviously, it’s been some time since this occurred. Nothing has changed.”

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Lavoie reported from Boston.

Michelle R. Smith And Denise Lavoie, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Lawyer says Wahlberg movie unfair to Boston bomber’s widow

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