After 14 hours of deliberation spanning three days, the jury came out Friday with its unanimous decision to put Tsarnaev to death.
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz hailed the decision that came after two years of investigation and a 12-week long trial
"Today, the jury has spoken. And Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will pay with his life for his crimes."
Two bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon two years ago killing three people, including a Chinese graduate student, and injuring more than 200 others.
Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker said the verdict offered a kind of closure.
"At this point of time, I hope this represents some kind of closure for all those who are affected by this tragedy."
Karen Brassard, one of the survivors, agrees.
"Once the verdict came, it was like Okay. Now we can start from here and go forward and really feel like it's behind us."
The verdict may close one of the most painful chapters in Boston's history. But to some others, closure is still a long way off.
The parents of 8-year old Martin Richards, the youngest victim of the attack, opposed the death penalty, saying that they did not want to re-live their son's death during the years of appeals that are likely to ensue before the death sentence is carried out.
A local resident who witnessed a shootout between the police and the bombers told local TV station WCVB that her life is still not back to normal.
"Very much so. It does haunt me. I do not go out by myself at night. I do not leave this house by myself at night."
This is the first time a federal jury has sentenced a terrorist to death since September 11th, 2001.
Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.
