Boston Marathon bombing trial brings up strong emotions for survivor, Fresno runner

FRESNO, Calif (KFSN) -- The trial for the accused Boston Marathon bomber began with a dramatic day in court. This new trial is bringing up all of the anger and terror many of them felt the day of the blast nearly two years ago.

Thursday morning the father of the youngest victim, 8-year-old Martin Richard, will take the stand in what can only be predicted as an emotional testimony.

Wednesday the jurors watched disturbing video of the blasts. They also saw terrifying scenes of the victims, wounded and rushing into a nearby store.

Fresno runner Brad Castillo was among those on the course that day. "The whole thing was disbelief, chaos," he said. "People were lost. It was just a surreal feeling."

Castillo said he goofed off a bit during his run. Had he not, he could have been at the finish line when the blasts went off killing three people and injuring 260 others.

"You feel for the families, the families of the victims and the people that lost limbs and so on," Castillo said. "You hope when the trial is over, they have some closure."

Many of those families were in the Boston courtroom for the first day of the trial. The defense telling the jury "it was him." They admitted Dzhohar Tsarnaev is responsible for those "senseless, horrific, misguided acts."

They claim he was coerced by his older brother Tamerlan, who was later killed in a shootout with police.

Prosecutors counter that the 21-year-old is a true terrorist, who was determined to punish America in what he believed was a holy war.

Following the trial from Fresno Castillo hopes for justice for the people whose lives will never been the same. "I think in the end I hope that they find him guilty and the guy serves his time and he never sees a day of freedom again," he said.

Tsarnaev is facing 30 federal charges and the death penalty.