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Kadyrbayev and fellow Kazakh, Azamat Tazhayakov, hung out together on and off campus with Tsarnaev. The three 19-year-olds often spoke Russian among themselves.

Kadyrbayev, an engineering major, was headed back to the New Bedford apartment that he and Tazhayakov shared when Phillipos called. It was April 18, three days since the twin bombings that killed three and wounded more than 260.

When he saw the images of Tsarnaev and his older brother, Tamerlan, Kadyrbayev texted his friend and told him that he looked a lot like the guy on the television.

“lol” Dzhokhar replied, according to the FBI affidavit. Then Tsarnaev’s messages took on a more ominous tone.

“you better not text me,” read one.

“come to my room and take whatever you want,” read another.

A month earlier, during a meal, Dzhokhar had apparently felt the need to tell his Russian-speaking chums that he’d learned how to make a bomb. Even so, Kadyrbayev told authorities he thought his friend’s texts were a joke.

The Kazhaks and Phillipos, who’d attended the prestigious Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School with “Jahar,” as Dzhokhar was known, agreed to meet at Pine Dale Hall, their friend’s dorm. Phillipos, the 19-year-old son of a single mother, said he wanted to see for himself whether the TV reports were true.

Tsarnaev’s roommate let them in, saying they’d missed him by a couple of hours.

According to Kadyrbayev, the trio decided to watch a movie (he didn’t specify which one). At some point, they noticed a backpack.