'The Murders Before the Marathon,' a documentary about extreme radicalization, sheer violence, and unanswered questions, is a standout series. That's because it explores the possibility of a connection between the 2011 Waltham triple murder of Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken, and the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken died in the following ways:
Brendan was 25, Erik was 31, and Raphael was 37, but the three Massachusetts natives were reportedly good friends due to their similar personal as well as professional interests. They were also both well-known drug dealers around the Waltham area, with their two daughters being both instructors and bodybuilders. On September 11, 2011, Brendan and Erik lost their lives at their second-story 12 Harding Avenue flat.
Brendan's then-partner Hiba Eltilib discovered the trio the following morning, only for authorities to arrive moments later to discover they'd been dragged to or murdered in three different rooms. The worst part, though, was how it'd been done — their throats had been slit with such brutal, unrestrained force that they were almost decapitated.
Brendan Mess, Erik Weissman, and Raphael Teken were all killed.
According to the Hulu original, since Brendan, Erik, and Raphael were slain, there were no signs of forced entry, authorities quickly determined there was no motive for robbery. Although the trio was certainly murdered, the case still went unsolved a week later due to no concrete leads.
The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office had kept this case going until the Boston Marathon bombings in mid-April 2013 where they discovered Brendan, who was connected to the 9/11 anniversary homicide.
It wasn't that Tamerlan was identified from the start, rather, that his friends found his behavior following the shooting unusual, since he didn't even show up at the funerals. However, upon his death during an internal struggle following the authorities' attempts to recapture him and his brother on April 19, 2013, it became apparent that he'd been deeply anti-Jewish. Both were openly supportive of their Jewish heritage.
Tamerlan's name led to the FBI intervening as well as the name of Chechen immigrant Ibragim Todashev, only for things to take a new and different course as he wrote his formal confession in Orlando, Florida, on May 22, 2013. He attacked the agents, shooting one of them several times in fear of his life.
According to rumors, Ibragim claimed that his and Tamerlan's initial motive for robbery was, in fact, robbery, yet the two decided it was better to "eliminate any witnesses" at the scene. Brendan, Erik, and Raphael have been accused of slitting their throats before the duo spent an hour cleaning up any possible direct evidence.
According to the documentary series, Tamerlan and Ibragim have been linked to the triple homicide for years, but they were officially named people of interest relatively recently. The incident is still ongoing since officers believe they have a "material witness" and may uncover "a new physical evidence."
