text: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev murdered their 8-year-old son and permanently maimed their 7-year-old daughter, but Bill and Denise Richard do not want to see him executed. In a moving op-ed for the Boston Globe, published just a day after the two-year anniversary of their son Martin's death, the Richards have asked that Tsarnaev  be spared the death penalty so that they can finally get closure on the darkest chapter of their lives. Last week a jury found Tsarnaev guilty on all counts related to the April 15, 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon finish line. The penalty phase of the trial starts next week, in which the jury will decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole. Scroll down for video . No to execution: The family of Boston Marathon bombing victim Martin Richard wrote an op-ed in the Boston Globe, saying they oppose the death penalty for convicted terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The family pictured above on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the attack. Clockwise from top left: Denise Richard, Bill Richard, Henry Richard and Jane Richard . Victim: Martin Richard died at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, after the Tsarnaev brothers set off twin pressure cooker bombs . While the Richards say they are thankful to the government prosecutors for their 'tireless and committed' work to bring justice, they are now asking them to drop the fight for execution and sign a plea deal to send the 21-year-old to jail for the rest of his life. 'We know that the government has its reasons for seeking the death penalty, but the continued pursuit of that punishment could bring years of appeals and prolong reliving the most painful day of our lives,' the Richards wrote. 'We hope our two remaining children do not have to grow up with the lingering, painful reminder of what the defendant took from them, which years of appeals would undoubtedly bring.' They say sentencing Tsarnaev to death will only bring continued pain for themselves and the other hundreds of bombing victims. 'As long as the defendant is in the spotlight, we have no choice but to live a story told on his terms, not ours. 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,' they wrote. The Richards brought their three kids out to watch the Marathon two years ago, and were standing just steps away from where Tsarnaev and his brother Tamerlan (who died in a shootout with police a few days later) dropped off two pressure cooker bombs. Little Martin died in the blasts and his sister Jane lost a leg. Death or prison? Last week, a jury found Tsarnaev (center) guilty on all charges related to the attack. Next week marks the beginning of the penalty phase of the trial in which the jury will decide whether to sentence Tsarnaev to death or life in prison. Tsarnaev pictured above in a court sketch from April 6 . Moments before: Martin Richard is seen circled in blue on the day of the Marathon. Behind him walks Tsarnaev, carrying a backpack believed to have held one of the two bombs . During the course of Tsarnaev's trial, photos were shown in court of the moments before he dropped off a bomb in a backpack, strolling just behind the Richard family lined up against a gate at the finish line. On Tuesday, the Richard family revisited the finish line to take part in a memorial. The family were pictured hugging and crying at the emotional ceremony. The Richards aren't the first to speak out against the death penalty in Tsarnaev's high-profile trial. The Boston Globe editorial board issued similar sentiments and last week Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said Tsarnaev should 'die in prison'. The death penalty is outlawed in Massachusetts, where the trial is taking place, but since Tsarnaev is being judged in federal court, execution is still a sentencing option. However, experts say that the jurors may sway towards life in prison, considering the state's generally liberally view on the controversial issue. Tsarnaev's lead defense attorney is Judy Clarke, a woman who specializes in helping high-profile clients like the Unabomber escape the death penalty. Clarke and the rest of Tsarnaev's legal team have been trying to paint their client as a gullible young man who was a secondary player in her older brother's terrorist plot. All together: Above, Bill and Denise Richard pictured with their three children before losing Martin (bottom right) in the bombing . Brothers: Tsarnaev's (right) defense attorneys have tried to paint him as secondary in a plot orchestrated by his more extreme older brother Tamerlan (left).  Tamerlan died a few days after the bombing in a shootout with police .
target: Bill and Denise Richard wrote an op-ed opposing the death penalty for Tsarnaev in the Boston Globe on Thursday .
  The parents of 8-year-old Martin Richard, the youngest bombing victim, say they can only begin to move on once Tsarnaev's legal battle is over .
  They want prosecutors to sign a plea deal, sending Tsarnaev to prison for the rest of his life and forfeiting his right to appeal .
  Last week, Tsarnaev was found guilty on all counts related to the April 15, 2013 bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line .
  Next week starts the penalty phase of the trial, in which jurors will decide Tsarnaev's sentence .