Boston Bomb Had Female DNA on It: Authorities

At least one of the bombs used in the Boston Marathon attacks had female DNA on it, investigators say, but that doesn't necessarily mean the bombers had a female accomplice. Officials gave a handful of alternate scenarios to the Wall Street Journal: A store clerk could have handled materials later used in the bomb, or a female hair could have innocently ended up on it. The Journal notes that FBI agents were seen leaving the home of Tamerlan Tsarnaev's in-laws today. Tsarnaev's widow, Katherine Russell, has been staying there since the bombings, and one official says the agents were there to get a DNA sample from her to see if it matches the one found on the bomb.

Meanwhile, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has another lawyer. Judy Clarke, who was also on the defense team for Jared Loughner, has been appointed to join the three federal public defenders already assigned to Tsarnaev, Politico reports. That's because she has a lot of experience with death penalty cases; her appointment will probably lead some to speculate that she'll be able to negotiate a plea bargain with a life sentence rather than death, as she did for Loughner. The Atlantic Wire notes that Tsarnaev's attorneys have represented quite a few bombers, terrorists, and other well-known criminals, including Zacarias Moussaoui and the Unabomber. (More Katherine Russell stories.)