Online hacker Jester posted an interesting pic from Boston day of the race.

[bamacrat]

Identical bag. Would be bad if they were wrong but I guess we have to start some where.

J?ST?R™ @th3j35t3r
Hello cutey pie. Nice ruck you got there >> i.imgur.com/OvRBupt.jpg #boston cc: @FBIPressOffice

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

1. The guy looks like Dr. Sheldon Cooper with a beard

Seriously, hopefully they will examine this information.

[JaneyVee]

35. Creepy that he's alone and holding the bag in a position to drop it.

[joeybee12]

85. My first thought also, however, some people do hold them like that in

crowded areas so they're not knocking it into others around them.

[AAO]

116. He definately looks like he's up to no good!

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

168. my money is on him! just look at him!

[Sheldon Cooper]

40. I swear to god it wasn't me.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. Isn't "Jester" the right wing version of Anonymous?

Not saying there's either any truth or falsity to these photos. Just let the investigators do their job.

[bamacrat]

4. I don't think they are one wing or another.

They aren't real fond of anonymous.. FBI has asked for help, and people who know how to do the things these guys do can help a lot.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. Okay.

I find the whole online hacker world, Anonymous, Jester, whatever well, odd. But if it turns out to be authentic, I guess I hope it helps.

[toddaa]

27. jester is an individual

His agenda has been pro military, which brings him in conflict with Anonymous on occasion. Best guess is that his background is military or intelligence.

Like most hackers, he has a rather low opinion of Anonymous' skills but rarely wastes his time with them.

[Baitball Blogger]

61. Where are they getting the video?

[kentuck]

96. At the bottom of the photo of the bag in small letters...

it says "AP / FBI".

My question would be "Did they recover the bag from the first explosion or the second??"

[Fawke Em]

107. Second, I think.

[kentuck]

112. It appears to me that the bag appears lighter when he is coming back from the finish line...

and may have just dropped the bag at the second explosion? Which would mean he would have taken one of the bombs out of the bag for the first explosion. Just speculation, of course.

[gaspee]

33. Yes

[morningfog]

129. The investigators asked for help.

[MineralMan]

3. Nice catch. I hope this has been sent to

those investigating. I'm sure it has.

[bamacrat]

5. They sent that to the FBI. n/t

[MineralMan]

7. Good move on their part.

I'm sure the FBI will be interested in those photos. I hope it's a good clue for them.

[progressoid]

18. And to the entire internet.

Bad form.

[JaneyVee]

6. why is that lady crying yet he's still holding the bag?

[Renew Deal]

13. She may be sneezing

[abelenkpe]

92. My mom used to sob whenever she attended

her kids performances or sporting events. Why? She was always overcome with pride and joy and that caused her to cry. Maybe the woman crying is just happy for a loved one crossing the finish line?

[MadHound]

9. Yay! Internet vigilantism!

First of all, if the implication that this is the bomber, where is the second duffle bag? Second, who the hell is Jester to be trying to pin the blame on anybody? They're not cops, that's for sure. Look what happened to Richard Jewel after the Atlanta bombing, all because of idiots like this right here. Third of all, don't you think that the cops have already looked at this and dealt with it? Oh, one other thing, if that bag had a bomb in it, a bomb composed of a pressure cooker, explosives, and a bunch of metal shrapnel, you wouldn't be holding it like the man in the photo is, draped on your forearm, it would simply be too heavy, and pull the arm down. You would be holding the bag with the strap handles in you your hand, probably straight down at your side.

[Renew Deal]

11. How do you know how to "hold" a bomb?

Aside from that, no one is advocating "vigilantism." This is just another tip being passed along.

[MadHound]

25. Oh geez, what a dumbass comeback is that,

Dare to say something in the defense of the internet posse's latest target, and wham, "how do you know how to hold a bomb?" Basic physics combined with basic human anatomy, subjects you obviously have no clue about. Here, try this experiment. Load up a backpack with thirty to forty pound of something, anything. Put the straps on your forearm, as shown in the picture, and see how long it takes before you biceps start to get fatigued. Feel that, get what I'm saying now? Good, now you can put that backpack down now.

And yes, this is vigilantism, and we're seeing it not just here, but all over the internet. "It's the Saudi! No, it's some RW nutcase! No, it's this guy!" Around and around this stupid shit goes, and if you're not careful, such "tips" can wind up hurting somebody, example, Richard Jewel.

But hey, don't let me or common sense stand in the way of a good ol' fashioned torches and pitchfork parade

[Renew Deal]

34. How do you know it was "thirty to forty pounds?"

No one said that something should be done to this person and everyone remembers Richard Jewel. That doesn't mean that this person shouldn't be identified to the police. That's not vigilantism.

[MadHound]

41. Well, Senator McCarthy, it's like this

The authorities are saying that the pressure cooker was roughly a six liter size. Now we know that the cooker was filled with shrapnel, so go find approximately the same amount of iron or steel metal that would fill such a pressure cooker, then weigh that metal. Add two to three pounds more for the weight of the pressure cooker, explosives, and Voila, you have a rough approximation of how much the bomb weighed.

And yes, this is vigilantism, this is citizens coming across anybody they deem suspicious and trying to turn him into the bad guy. Everybody is also filtering this through their own preconceived notion that the bomber was some angry, white, RW guy, when in fact we simply don't know. Why not leave all of this to the professionals, the people that actually know what they're doing, rather than running around yelling, "J,accuse!"

[caseymoz]

110. You wouldn't have to fill it completely up.

How do you know the explosive wasn't two-thirds of the volume and shrapnel one third? Unless mercury, the explosive would be much lighter, by about an eighth by my estimate. So, two-thirds volume the explosive, which is four or five pounds, one-third metal scrap, which would be eleven, twelve pounds, another three pounds for the cooker. That's about twenty pounds.

And see my previous post: you can't tell from a couple still images how long he's carried it by the back straps. He might have just taken it off his back five seconds before.

I'm not saying he did it. I'm saying it's not as unlikely as you make it sound, and you're making assumptions besides those given for anatomy and physics to exclude this guy.

I'm just glad you're not the cop or agent investigating this case.

[caseymoz]

176. Also . . .

I notice he's walking bracing his carrying arm with the other! He's gripping the arm at the wrist.

That's a strange way to carry a backpack, unless it's perhaps too heavy for one arm alone, and he doesn't want it look like it's that heavy.

Also, there'd be a reason not to hold it by its top loop if it's explosive. Down below, somebody might brush by and kick it, turning the perp into an accidental suicide bomber.

I really hope they find and question this guy.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

141. Ever carry a bunch of groceries on one arm so the other is free to open a door?

That's the way you do it.

BTW: Authorities have already received hundreds of tips so far. Most go nowhere but some could lead to the perp.

[caseymoz]

101. How you'd be embarrassed if he turns out to be the perp.

You can't tell from the pictures how long he's held it like that. As far as you can tell, he's just taken it off his back (which would be the logical way to carry it into the crowd) and is about to put it down, and probably doesn't want to look obvious doing it, so he carries it a few feet, just to fool people like you who know all about physics and human anatomy.

False accusation? Like what? Showing proof that this guy was carrying a backpack in a crowd? And that the backpack had stripes matching a shredded one at the scene? That's all factual. An accusation would be if Jester took those facts and said he must be the bomber. Nothing here proves he was, but it's enough to want to find the guy and question him.

And Jester isn't the only one who can see these facts on the Internet. It isn't a sophisticated hacking technique he used. People are going to pour over these pictures and videos with microscopes. Others can see the same thing. If Jester wouldn't have come out with it, somebody else would have mentioned this ten minutes later.

Vigilantism might follow, but this isn't vigilantism.

[Amonester]

166. Not just question him, but also pull a hair or else.

4 DNA tests (if any 'match' is left in the bag, that is)

[Hassin Bin Sober]

19. He is supporting one arm with the other arm. Just sayin'.

[MadHound]

29. Actually he simply holding his arms like that, not supporting anything,

If he were, there would be "crease marks" on his clothing, and the strength it takes for even two arms to hold up a weight like that would cause some serious muscle tension and "dig" the arms into the stomach area.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

39. Call the FBI and tell them you 'cleared' this guy.

My only point is he is supporting his arm.

If I felt like it, I could make as many arguments on the "for" side. I don't. You apparently feel like clearing this guy.

I DO know the FBI will be looking for this guy based on the unarguable bag similarities.

[kentuck]

43. The only problem...

The bag, very similar to his, perhaps identical, is blown all to hell!

[MadHound]

44. My point is that people need to be using common sense and the brains that God gave them,

Before turning into super sleuths and thinking they've got their guy. It is this kind of shit that drives every cop nuts, because while citizens are well meaning, an application of intelligence and common sense on their part would save the cops a lot of hassle. Yes, I'm sure the cops have already looked at this guy, they are looking at everybody that day with a bag. My guess, his photo is already in the "No" bin.

[kentuck]

49. I would disagree.

This is exactly the type of lead they are looking for. You cannot dismiss every lead.

[MadHound]

53. This is white noise of a lead,

And if you used the intelligence and common sense granted to you, you would see that. Perhaps it is because of my hobby, old car restoration, and the fact that I handle a lot of heavy metal, that I can see this, I don't know. But it seems perfectly obvious to me that you aren't going to hook thirty, forty pounds of metal around your forearm and carry it for any length of time. The more natural thing to do is to grasp it by the handles and carry it down at your side.

[kentuck]

68. How do you know he is carrying two bombs??

One bomb would be about 6 liters.

[MadHound]

74. I didn't say he was carrying two bombs.

Geez, this is getting a bit alarming in this thread. I make some common sense comments based on my experience, and not one, but two other posters go all McCarthy on me.

[Shankapotomus]

77. I agree with your application of physics

However, there is the possibility the suspect could have come with multiple matching bags, two with bombs in them, but the rest, who knows? The picture could have been taken after the bags with explosives were already placed or they could be on the ground at his feet out of sight in the picture. The point is, if the exploded bags match the bag the man in the picture is holding, that's a legitimate lead.

[kentuck]

89. Also, the fact that he is in the same vicinity near the finish line...

cannot be dismissed.

[Life Long Dem]

123. "Call the FBI and tell them you 'cleared' this guy."

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

169. no, it's him! I can see the "stupid" in his eyes

[AtheistCrusader]

131. This is going to be a fun thread to re-visit in a bit.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

142. Look how his shoulder is lower as if it's from the weight.

[nebenaube]

66. I find it consistent...

heavy backpack, yeah... he doesn't want it on his shoulder because it draw too much attention but I see nothing inconsistent about how the pack is carried.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

73. Yep. And those straps are a bit stiffer than, say, non-backpack straps.

In other words, they are meant not to "dig" in to the body.

The straps seem to be supporting some weight.

[B2G]

21. Or strapped to your back

[LanternWaste]

86. It seems one may be in need of knowing the difference between "imply" and "infer".

It seems one may be in need of knowing the difference between "imply" and "infer". Two separate words concepts easily confused these days...

[WheelWalker]

122. I might be wrong but it looks to me like

he's holding it by both arms. The right hand might well have the thumb hooked over the belt or waist of the pants to give support... and notice the left hand is covering the right so as to make the support of the right hand by the waistband or belt not visible. In point of fact, it looks to me like the satchel/duffel/backpack is supported by a combination of both arms and probably a belt or waistband. IMO.

[morningfog]

132. You missed a lot. The Feds asked for help.

The first bag could have already been dropped.

No, there is no reason to think the Feds have already looked at every image out there.

[Union Scribe]

157. So posting them online helps law enforcement

versus just, I dunno, sending this info TO them?

[morningfog]

159. More eyes.

[Union Scribe]

161. To do what? nt

[morningfog]

162. See.

[Union Scribe]

163. Well you know what eyes do. That's good.

But I fail to 'see' how turning some guy, who could very well just be another poor sod with a backpack, over to the vigilantism of an angry nation in any way helps the situation versus going directly to the agencies working on the case.

[HiPointDem]

171. more crazy eyes to do crazy stuff

[Renew Deal]

10. He'll be named within an hour

[HiPointDem]

172. not yet sherlock

[Renew Deal]

178. To the FBI/cops

[B2G]

12. Well that's about the 20th photo of a black bag I've seen today

He's holding it pretty casually for it to contain a gallon pressure cooker full of gunpowder, ball bearings and detonators. I would think it would be pretty heavy.

[Renew Deal]

16. True though...

It's a good position to drop it from and it looks like there's a garbage can right in front of him.

[riderinthestorm]

14. Intriquing but it doesn't look "heavy" enough if you get my drift.

The bag had to have been really heavy with that much metal inside. The picture of the guy with that backpack is awfully "loose" in his arms.



It is a good pic though. Certainly interesting enough to send to the FBI

[cliffordu]

15. Interesting. That bag looks like it has some weight to it, too....

I'd love it if they nailed whoever did it right away.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

17. Not saying one way or the other,

but he's bracing the arm holding it with his other arm. He's not holding it casually. He kind of looks like he's trying to look casual actually, to me.

[kentuck]

20. Very interesting...

imho.

[pintobean]

22. A jury voted to leave this post 5-1.

[Renew Deal]

23. Here are more pictures

It looks like someone combed through hi-res photos to find this.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=2d6_1366183161&comments=1#comment_page=1

[kentuck]

42. Wow!!!

He and the bag are close to the finish line! All circumstantial of course. This is incredible!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

82. Where's Waldo?

[arely staircase]

153. close to the bottom

slightly to the upper right of the African American woman in the short sleeved orange shirt.

[whopis01]

154. I think you missed him...

slightly to the upper right of the African American woman in the short sleeved orange shirt.

I think you might have meant "to the upper left" instead.

[arely staircase]

155. yep, the ol' lysdexia kicking in

[MrBig]

24. This guy's life is about to get messed up

If he didn't have any role in the attacks whatsoever, I hate to think what will happen to him as I'm sure his name and personal information have already been disseminated throughout the internet community.

All of these posts identifying suspicious looking people in random photos just keeps reminding me of Richard Jewell. If you find something that seems odd, send it to the FBI. No need to post it online and let a feeding frenzy begin against a possibly innocent person.

[Wind Dancer]

60. Agreed!

Richard Jewell is a perfect example in how NOT to behave during an investigation.

[Union Scribe]

156. Indeed. nt

[JHB]

26. I'm reminded of a cross-examination from "My Cousin Vinny"

Q: Is it possible for two separate cars could be driving on Michelin model XGV 75 R 14's?

A: Of course.

Q: Let me ask you this: What's the best selling single model tire being sold in the United States today?

A: The Michelin XGV.

Q: And what's the most popular size?

A: 75R14.

Q: The same size as on the Defendants' car?

A: But two faded green 1964 Buick Skylark convertibles?

Q: Excuse me. All I'm asking you is if the most popular size of the most popular tire is on the defendant's car.

A: Well, Yeah.

And just how many bags of that kind exist in Boston? During a major civic event? Plus nearly-identical kinds?

Maybe it's a clue, maybe it's not, but don't count on Jester to know the difference.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

38. Exactly.

One of the reasons why it is so difficult to nail a perp in an event with just so many people doing seemingly innocuous things.

September 11th was easy--once the second plane hit, we knew instantly it was Bin Laden, from the high profile attacks on the Cole and the embassies.

With Oklahoma City, authorities got seriously, seriously lucky. McVeigh was stopped for not having a license plate and arrested on a concealed weapons charge. When inventorying the car, they happened to find a business card with a note on the back about buying TNT.

[bottomofthehill]

80. Still one of my all time favorite movies

[warrior1]

28. kick

this could be him

[Tommy_Carcetti]

30. OT, but creepy Twitter line.

"Hello cutey pie. Nice ruck you got there"??????

[DetlefK]

31. Hard to tell.

First, you compare a black-and-white-photo to a color-photo.
Second, that pattern isn't very unique. By my guess, about 10% of all backpacks have this.
Third, why isn't the neck-handle of the backpack on the right visible in the photos on the left?

But on the other hand:
If you look at the color-photos upper center and right, you can clearly see that he transported something heavy in that backpack, because the shoulder straps are stretched. (The plastic is normally stiff enough to retain some curvature.) That stuff might be sports-goods or whatever though.

Was he walking or was he standing while this photo was taken?
If he was standing, then carrying a heavy backpack like this is okay.
But if he was walking a considerable distance, then carrying a heavy backpack like this is suspicious, because it would bump into his right thigh all the time and turn uncomfortable pretty fast.





Maybe. A BIG Maybe.
And too many open questions. Too much left to the realm of speculation.
But enough to check for finger-prints.

[Arrowhead2k1]

37. There are no black and white photos.

The colors just happen to all be black and white.

This is 2013. The FBI doesn't take black and white photos anymore...

[Agschmid]

57. Ugh...

"But if he was walking a considerable distance, then carrying a heavy backpack like this is suspicious, because it would bump into his right thigh all the time and turn uncomfortable pretty fast."

Really?

[DetlefK]

64. Don't believe me? Cram a backpack full of heavy stuff and try it.

My point is: If the backpack were indeed heavy, as the speculation before deduced, wouldn't he carry it in the most comfortable way?

[rbixby]

126. The other thing that's odd about how he's carrying it

Is you can clearly see that there's a hand hold on the pack, it would be much easier to carry it that way, unless it was very heavy, then the hand hold would dig into your hand.

Interesting, but its a lead, not a clear indication of guilt or anything.

[Ellipsis]

32. I think we have a winner. n/t

[ChangeUp106]

36. Another Photo Like This...

I've seen a bunch of these over the past 12 hours...

but I have to say this one really stands out. Complain all you want, but the Internet is just trying to help.

[B2G]

45. How many black backpacks do you see in this picture?

I count at least 5. In a crowd of about 30 people. Good luck with this line of investigation.

[Renew Deal]

47. I saw at least one more

4 people deep from the Israeli flag. A person wearing a red shirt with a black backpack on his back.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

52. "Good luck with this line of investigation"

Not sure what your point is.

This is how they will most likely identify the perpetrator.

The investigators probably have dozens (hundreds?) scouring the photos. The internet has... thousands?.... scouring the photos.

The investigators have the bag. Now they have to link it to a face.

I'm reminded of that story about a mathematical problem put out on the internet and solved by gamers.

In fact, that may be the reason the photos of the bag were released.

[B2G]

55. My point is that a black backpack alone means nothing

As illustrated in the pic I posted. How many 10s of thousands were there that day do you suppose?

If their main approach to finding the perps is going to be to track down everyone wearing a black backpack, we are well and truly screwed. But I do love the 'he looks just like I imagined he would' comments. Lol. WTF is that supposed to even mean??

Oh, and I really feel sorry for anyone who's pic is being splashed across the internets with suspicion.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

65. Don't you see the similarity in the strap (stripe) pattern?

THAT'S what the investigators will be looking for.

They have the bag. They don't have a face but they have a bag - with certain strap patterns.

This is why they are scouring the airport for photos and asking the public to send photos. I heard yesterday they have some large, I can't remember, number of terabytes of photo/video sent to them.

And if you think the significance of a lone white male in the crowed doesn't add to the suspicion of the profilers working on the case, I don't know what to tell you.

You can bet they have a profile worked out. See: the DHS profile memo that the right wing squealed like pigs about and had retracted.

[fob]

54. Black backpacks = plenty, but take a look at the details that are

circled. There are grey straps on top of the black padded straps on the blown up backpack, and as pointed out, the blue coat dude has a black back pack with grey straps on the black padded straps. So this isn't a "hey, look this guy has a black back pack" kinda thing.

I have no idea if they are the same, but of the people wearing black backpacks, this one appears to match better than the rest. This guy should at least be tracked down as a person of interest. If he still has his black backpack with grey straps, then perhaps he's not the one.

[Ganja Ninja]

79. Also note the small gray panel that can be seen in the photo where he has his side facing the camera

The blown up sack photo seems to show a gray panel on one end.

You're right it's the details that make this of interest.

[Arugula Latte]

105. But the bag remnant has specific identifying characteristics. It's not just randomly

suspecting everybody with a backpack who was at the entire marathon. There had to have been someone with a bag near the bomb site. Narrow it down from there. Who has a bag similar to the remnant. Narrow it down. Who has a bag in one shot and then later doesn't. Narrow it down. And so on. I don't understand why people don't grasp the concept of process of elimination.

*Disclaimer* I'm NOT saying that this guy is definitely guilty. Mathematically, though, there are relatively few people who would be able to be identified as suspects.

[Renew Deal]

46. If you compare where this guy is standing to the location of the explosion, they are close

Last edited Wed Apr 17, 2013, 11:32 AM - Edit history (1)

They are very near the Israeli flag BTW.

Very large picture: http://tinyurl.com/btjtmwy

Look 7 people to the left of the Hong Kong flag. He is close to the bottom between the Israeli and Greek flags.



If you look at this picture, it looks like the bomb was dropped further down.

[Animal Chin]

48. Looks to me like he's holding with two hands

as if it were heavy. It's kind of an awkward way to hold a backpack actually.

On the other hand, these were taken approximately 90 minutes prior to the explosion. Would like to see some pics from closer to detonation.

[WheelWalker]

150. Agreed. With the thumb of the right in the waistband/belt for support, and covered by the left hand

offering plenty of support for a heavy load... and all the pics show him carrying it with hands in the same position

[ChangeUp106]

50. The More I Look...

The backpack he is holding and the one blown up look exactly the same. Again, *look* people. I'm no expert. He also seems to be holding it as if it's heavy.

And as far as another Richard Jewell, I'm fine with this as long as the guy's ID doesn't get out there (unless he's guilty). I don't support anyone finding out who this guy is, but stuff like this is probably helping the FBI.

Most people are leaning towards a domestic lone nut. I'm sorry, but this is what I envision that type of person to look like.

[Animal Chin]

51. Guy also seems to be alone

and not too interested in the marathon.

[Demo_Chris]

56. I spotted my own likely suspect

Spotted this potential perp and I cannot find her or her so-called bags in any after images. Note as well that one of the bags is on wheels suggesting it's heavy!

[demwing]

99. You're fucking hilarious

[MrBig]

148. +1

Finally some purposeful ridiculousness in this entire thread of ridiculousness

[justiceischeap]

58. Are the FBI certain this is the bag that contained the explosives?

It could be that this guy was standing close enough to the blast to have his backpack blown to bits, isn't it?

P.S. I don't know a damn thing about explosives or how the bag would look if it contained the bomb and it exploded inside it, hence the question.

That said, those bags look to be one in the same.

[jeff47]

97. If the bomb was in the bag, it will be damaged differently than if the bomb was next to the bag

For example, in the "next-to" scenario, the side away from the bomb would be much less damaged. If the bag was holding the bomb, then all sides would be about equally damaged.

[justiceischeap]

102. Thanks!

I'm guessing from the look of the bag, it actually DID contain the bomb, then.

[Evasporque]

59. bag looks heavy in hanging on his arm....nt

[MineralMan]

62. What is interesting is that analysis of photos of the

crowds there is happening. This guy may have nothing whatever to do with the bombings, but this is exactly what the FBI is looking for as it searches the images and videos people are sending it. This kind of detail is remarkable, and people will be peering at and checking many, many photos like these over the next weeks. They will run down all of the clues.

Eventually, a photo will be found of the bomber. There were just too many people taking photos for that not to happen. Recognizing which photo among many is the right one is another issue.

[cbdo2007]

70. There are hundreds of people taking pictures at the end of a raceline, so I'm sure someone got

something. Hopefully everyone who went knows enough to give copies of their data card over to the authorities to try to find it. I woudln't be surprised if there were 100 more videos out there too showing that immediate area right before/during the blast. The truth will come out eventually.

[MineralMan]

76. I suspect that everyone who did take pictures or videos

is looking closely at them multiple times. Getting them to the authorities is the right thing to do, and most people will gladly do that.

[Sheepshank]

121. ...In addition, those people in the close vicinity in the picture

will be racking their brain with this little reminder, trying to think of any actions etc that in hindsight seems off. What an amazing tool this internets and cameras all are.

[AzDar]

63. K & R

[Wind Dancer]

67. You might want to read this thread!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022689801

[MillennialDem]

69. One reason why I'm not sure on this one - bag looks relatively intact if it was ground zero

[kentuck]

75. It wasn't an atomic bomb.

[MillennialDem]

83. I know that.

[kentuck]

71. He looks like Ted Nugent...

without his baseball cap.

[Scruffy Rumbler]

72. Well, Based on what people are saying here, I could be a suspect...except I wasn't in Boston.

When in a crowd, I often cary my backpack like this for a couple of reasons. 1. To keep it from bumping into people when I turn. Lots of kids and people shorter then I in crowds and hitting them in the head when I turn isn't polite. 2. When in a crowd like that, having it in front of you is safer then in back when it comes to pick pockets. As to supporting the arm carrying it? No matter how heavy or light it is, after awhile the dependent arm fatigues.

And as to it being blown apart? That can happen from the shrapnel/blast passing through it.

[cbdo2007]

78. Here's another pic of this guy from a different forum:

http://www.the-mainboard.com/index.php?threads/explosion-at-finish-line-of-boston-marathon.121535/page-56

scroll down the page and you'll see it. Larger view of the crowd and he's not holding the backpack anymore. Interesting stuff.

[Marrah_G]

84. I'm sure the FBI is going over all this stuff with a fine tooth comb

I know people were asked to send in pictures they might have taken in the spot or video etc.

[kentuck]

87. It's difficult to see if he has his bag or not?

If not, where did he drop it? He was closer to the finish line in the other photo.

[Arugula Latte]

90. If they have a clear photo of him no longer with the backpack, that is incredibly interesting.

Who just "leaves" their backpack in a crowd ...

[polly7]

98. I think he is still holding the backpack there, there's a bit of the light grey coloured

strap showing .... imho.

[kentuck]

127. But it may be only half as heavy as before...

It appears to be somewhat smaller to my untrained eye.

[polly7]

134. That's true ... almost impossible to say.

In another photo set posted further down here there's a man bent over going through something right near to a little boy that's noted on the photo purportedly to be Martin Richard. I so hope they catch the right person/persons ... but will be more careful, because of what happened to Richard Jewell.

[abelenkpe]

104. Also at your link

Yay! A new conspiracy theory to top the Sandy Hook truthers

[cbdo2007]

109. haha, yeah saw that. Didn't want to mention it here...for obvious reasons.

[Ganja Ninja]

118. He still has the bag in that photo. You just can't see it because the woman in front is blocking it.

That's where he's first entering the crowd. Note the big black guy in the gray t shirt and sunglasses to his left (your right as you look at it) is in the photo. Then the guy turns toward him and starts into the crowd. Also the woman standing in front of him is behind him as he turns and walks away into the crowd.

[HiPointDem]

174. he's still got the backpack. see the girl in pink behind him? now look at the pictures in this OP.

see the girl in pink & the man in front of her, same position, with backpack?

[Buzz Clik]

81. Everybody is Sherlock Holmes. I have a bag like that.

[Paul E Ester]

88. Here is a collection with all the suspects so far, there are tons.

http://imgur.com/a/sUrnA

[Arugula Latte]

91. But no other black-with-grey stripes, it seems, besides the blue-shirt bearded guy?

The backpack manufacturer will be able to confirm if the one the guy is carrying is the same as the remnant.

[Renew Deal]

94. Here's another image going around with a completely different set of people.

[Arugula Latte]

108. Their bags don't seem to match the remnant, though.

[Arrowhead2k1]

117. I bet one of those "brown guys" was the Saudi who was injured, interviewed, and cleared.

Nothing convincing here.

[Renew Deal]

119. I agree that there's nothing convincing

There are multiple sets of images all making differnet people look suspicious or guilty.

[kentuck]

135. Very interesting synopsis by the British

Thanks.

[grantcart]

111. interesting.

Before seeing your link I was going to respond: Let me know when you have one with two guys with backpacks.



Allegedly the same guy without the backpack, trying to change his appearance.



Probably nothing but more compelling to me than the guy in the OP.

They are going to have pictures of a guy with and without a backpack.

[mainer]

113. Except guy in white hat doesn't have a jacket

While guys in earlier photos with backpacks do have jackets. I don't think it's the same guy.

First two guys look almost paramilitary to me.

[grantcart]

115. Exactly. If you were trying to change your appearance, lose the jacket and put on a hat.

Not concluding anything, just more interesting than the original OP, IMO.

[cbdo2007]

125. That doesn't look anything like the same guy to me.

In the OP, the bags look exactly the same.

[kentuck]

93. Grab him, Dan'l !

We have our man!

[Armstead]

95. I'm not sure it's appropriate to make this viral.....

Whoever put this together should tell the authorities....But if this guy is just an innocent bystander, he could be in for a load of unjustified shit by having his picture spread all over the Internet

[HiPointDem]

175. the mob doesn't care about that stuff

[grahamhgreen]

100. Bag looks a little small to be holding a pressure cooker of size, be nice to see the full shape.

[bec]

103. I am thinking he is holding

the backpack that way becasue everybody is so crammed in and he cannot put it on his back?

[mainer]

106. He makes me think of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski

A younger version.

Ted was a Harvard student, wasn't he? Until he went off the rails and became anti-social.

[cbdo2007]

128. That's what I thought of when I first saw the picture too.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

137. Theodore Kaczynski, a.k.a. the Unabomber, was a volunteer in mind-control experiments sponsored by t

Theodore Kaczynski, a.k.a. the Unabomber, was a volunteer in mind-control experiments sponsored by the CIA at Harvard in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

[MrBig]

146. He makes me think of a random guy at the Boston Marathon n/t

[anneboleyn]

158. Me too. Yes, Ted also was a prof at UC Berkeley.

He went to Harvard when he was sixteen. The picture of him as a young prof at Berkeley (before he suddenly resigned) compared to what he became later is just, well, alarming. Mental illness...not good.

[Renew Deal]

114. And another set

Last edited Thu Apr 18, 2013, 02:57 PM - Edit history (1)

[drm604]

120. This should not have been posted on the internet.

It should have been sent to the FBI (which apparently it was) and not released anywhere else. Remember Richard Jewel?

[kentuck]

130. It's nearly impossible to keep anything off the Internet...

However, I must admit, there is a lot of circumstantial evidence from the photos.

[Renew Deal]

133. This is how these crimes are solved

A lot of times the cops will release a persons picture so they can get a name.

Also, there's a lot more people power than there is police power.

[drm604]

144. The police did not post this.

If law enforcement decides that it should be posted then that's fine, but it's my understanding that that is not what happened. This Jester person took it on himself to publicly point out this person. It should have been sent to the FBI and nothing more.

[AsahinaKimi]

124. wow..

I wonder if that is the same bag..wouldn't that be something it it was a big lead.

[anneboleyn]

167. CNN stated (live) that the FBI is circulating a photo

of a man holding a backpack with circles showing close-ups of the backpack -- highlighting the backpack's similarities to the material in the bomb. From the sound of the description, it is this photo. I have a feeling there is a rush to identify this person. Hopefully he is not just an innocent victim that has been singled out for attention. It would be an incredible lead if it turns out to be anything of significance.

[Old and In the Way]

136. Given the pervasiveness of camera phones and the thousands of vids/pic taken during the event....

it will not surprise me if crowd sourced photographic evidence helps nail the perp(s). It feels like the evidence is starting to close in on this/these criminal(s).

[kentuck]

138. I would venture that someone in this thread is very close to tagging the culprit...

of that cowardly act.

[MrBig]

145. Or making an innocent person's life a living hell n/t

[WinkyDink]

151. AS IF the FBI isn't also scouring every photo around!

[MrBig]

152. Yes, but

the FBI, upon drawing conclusions based on prior training and proper techniques, will take appropriate action against the culprit.

If this case is "solved" online or by the media to whatever standard they deem appropriate, they'll make that person's life a living hell.

[NCTraveler]

139. Could just as easily be a victim.

Parts of his body might be in the same condition as the back pack. My thoughts are with him if that is the case.

[kentuck]

140. Good point...

But what would a person be carrying in a bag that size to watch the marathon?? I can see a backpack for water, a snack, a book, etc. But a large heavy bag?

[NCTraveler]

143. I really don't know about a backpack that size.

Have you seen the other picture going around. Those two backpack are similar in size. I have been a spectator at the Boston and NY marathon. I had to prepare for about 6hrs worth of downtime. Showed up with the runner about an hour before the race, took him about 30 mins after the start of the race to actually cross the starting line, then about three hours after that. Then there was leaving after the race. One could easily fill a backpack to prepare for that time. Just a spare pare of shoes, clothes, book, and snacks and water could fill out a backpack. Things to sell to the spectators? Bibles to hand out? Could be many things.

The thing I find interesting about the backpack being shown here, is the lack of burn marks on the white fibers. This appeared to be a fast and intense ball of fire. Look at the ground where the bomb went off. You can see the scorch marks. Yet nothing on these very delicate fibers?

[Lawlbringer]

147. He should be arrested

for that hair style alone.

[kentuck]

149. He looks like one of the members of the Michigan Militia...

That was in the news back in the '90's...

[anneboleyn]

164. Snort. Word!

[ThoughtCriminal]

160. Speaking of photography and terrorists

I am extremely skeptical of this "identification", but when law enforcement does make a case, it will likely be thanks to one or more of the hundreds or thousands of photographs and videos taken.

Which leads me to my point (OK rant).

There has in this country - especially since 9/11 been a determined effort to restrict the rights of citizens to take photographs and record videos in public places. This is especially true in areas that are perceived to be possible targets for terrorists (bridges, train stations, airports). There is not even the slightest evidence that these restrictions are even the slightest deterrent to terrorists, yet people are harassed and threatened by security guards and law enforcement for the crime of pointing a camera at something.

The idiocy of these restrictions should be obvious. When a terrorists strike, what does law enforcement want? As many pictures as possible - before, during and after the attack. Public photography is not only a right, it is an essential tool to fight and deter terrorism.

There is an agenda behind photography restrictions that has nothing to do with public safety.

[anneboleyn]

165. Great point thoughtcriminal. Thank you for posting this

Exactly. What should be done if it is crucial to have these videos and photographs (as it certainly seems to be in the Boston case)?

[HiPointDem]

170. and if that's just some guy? i think it's irresponsible to post pictures with identifiable facial

features & claim they might be the bomber.

[HiPointDem]

173. "we have to start some where" = didn't realize DU was in charge of the investigation

[ellisonz]

177. Not convincing. Many people had bags containing changes of clothes and personal items for runners.

Moreover, if I am carrying an explosive device, don't you think I would try to avoid having someone bump into me? Why would I carry it like that and I agree that considering the likely wait of such a device that would be an extremely uncomfortable and dangerous way to carry it.