(NECN: Scot Yount, Worcester, Mass.) - It has been confirmed that the body of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev was moved from a funeral home in North Attleboro, Mass. to a funeral home in Worcester.
"I think we have to, I am not burying a terrorist, I am burying a dead body," said Graham Putnam and Mahoney Funeral Parlors owner Peter Stefan.
It happened in the wee hours of the morning, according to Stefan, who confirms he is handling the funeral arrangements for Tsarnaev and has confirmed he does have possession of the body.
Describing his experience, he said he had to receive the body of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev like a phantom in the night.
The body had been held at a funeral home in North Attleboro on Thursday.
He told NECN that he is experienced with Muslim services, though nothing has been planned yet.
"I can't pick circumstances, I can't be choosey as to who died from what or what they did, or how they died, I bury the dead, that is what I am trained to do, that is what I took an oath to do," Stefan said.
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"Here we wind up with it in the heart of Main South, wrong, wrong, wrong," said South Main Street Neighborhood Organizer William Breault.
The mere presence of Tsarnaev's body has caused a growing rift in the city. Community organizer William Breault has known the funeral parlor's owner for many years.
"I like Peter personally, what I don't like though is us taking on an international problem," Breault said.
"I don't see nothing wrong with bringing this guy here, you know you gotta have love, the family is going through a lot themselves," said Nery Lopez, a neighbor here for 30 years.
At this point, Stefan says he will assist the family with cost if necessary, but still hasn't found a burial site. He is committed to performing what he sees as a necessary service.
"What did you do with Lee Harvey Oswald? How about Timothy McVeigh? How about Jeffrey Dahmer? How about Ted Bundy?" asked Stefan. "If they don't want to do this, then pass some law that all terrorists and murderers have to be cremated and throw their bodies in a rubbish bin, but they have to do that, and until they do that, this is what we have to do."
