Parents of 8-year-old Boston marathon bombing victim explain why they oppose the death penalty for Tsarnaev

Bill and Denise Richards, the parents of the youngest victim to die in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings have declared they are against the death penalty for convicted bomber, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

In a Boston Globe editorial, the Richards talk about their son, Martin, who was one of the three people killed after two pressure cooker bombs exploded near the Boylston Street finish line, April 15, 2013.

We understand all too well the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed. We were there. We lived it. The defendant murdered our 8-year-old son, maimed our 7-year-old daughter, and stole part of our soul.

The family says they don't want their memories of "Marathon Monday" to be marred by Tsarnaev. They expressed their concern that if Tsarnaev is sentenced to death, it would lead to "years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day" of their lives.

The Richards stated their position simply: "The minute the defendant fades from our newspapers and TV screens is the minute we begin the process of rebuilding our lives and our family."

The couple made sure to acknowledge local and federal police agencies that helped take Tsarnaev into custody and they expressed gratitude for the federal prosecutors who successfully argued for Tsarnaev's conviction.

Other have also said Tsarnaev should not get a death sentence, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), who says "He should die in prison."

The Boston Globe's editorial board took a hard line against Tsarnaev, saying death would "substitute vengeance for justice, and risk letting him become a martyr."

Jurors are expected to return to court next week for the penalty phase of the trial, which the judge overseeing the case says could last as long as four weeks.