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In October of 2002, the Beltway Sniper attacks paralyzed the Washington, D.C., area with fear. A shooting and killing spree conducted by two men with sniper rifles was unfolding in front of the eyes of the nation, thanks to television media. There were so many terrifying aspects of the 2002 sniper killings, from the tarot cards left as killer calling cards to the unconnected nature of the D.C. sniper victims. And then there was the scope of the event itself. After the two shooters were caught, authorities learned that John A. Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo had likely shot people in seven states, as well as the D.C. area.
The facts of the case became more bizarre as authorities searched for answers as to why 17-year-old Malvo would participate in such heinous crimes. As the trial for Malvo unfolded, the young man's lawyers claimed that he was brainwashed by Muhammad. The defense didn't work; ultimately, Malvo was sentenced to life in prison, while Muhammad was executed.
The horrific shootings may be over, but the dark legacy of the Beltway Snipers lives on.
While the shootings in and around Washington, D.C. are most identified with the attacks, they were actually part of a nationwide crime spree. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo began the shootings in Washington state, and then moved east. All told, the two men shot people in Washington, Arizona, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and D.C. They were definitively linked to 10 deaths and three injuries, though they likely caused many more during their rampage across the country.
One of the most chilling aspects of the shooting spree is the random nature of the attacks. The victims had nothing in common other than their deaths. They were different ages, races, and genders.
On October 2, 2002, 55-year-old James Martin was killed exiting a grocery store in Glenmont, MD. Then, the spree seemed to begin in earnest: on October 3, the snipers killed four more people in just over 12 hours in Montgomery County, MD. James L. 'Sonny' Buchanan, a 39-year-old, was shot while mowing a lawn; 53-year-old Premkumar Walekar was killed while pumping gas. Shortly thereafter, 34-year-old Sarah Ramos was gunned down while sitting on a bench, and 25-year-old Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera was shot while vacuuming a car. The rampage lasted until October 22.
The attacks rattled the community. As one woman said, 'We all vacuum our cars. We all get gas. We all go shopping and mow our lawns. We could have been there.'
The Shooters Left Creepy Demands And Calling Cards
One of the shooters left a note demanding $10 million be wired into an account connected to a stolen credit card. The message was found outside of a Ponderosa Steakhouse where the sniper shot and wounded a man on October 19, 2002, and it contained horrifying passages:
'Your failure to respond has cost you five lives.. If stopping the killing is more important than catching us now, then you will accept our demand [sic] which are non-negotiable.. Your children are not safe anywhere at any time.'
That wasn't all the men left at the scenes of their crimes. They also left tarots card with images of death, bearing the message 'Call Me God.'
The Culprits Had Plans To Train Children As Terrorists
As authorities searched for a motive behind the sniper attacks, it became clear that the men had aimed to spread terror. Lee Boyd Malvo testified that John Muhammad had planned to shoot one person for 30 days straight, murder a police officer, place bombs in school buses, and attack the funeral of the police officer they intended to kill.
Muhammad apparently hoped to get money from the government in an extortion scheme to end the shootings. He then planned to use the money to fund a camp to train children to commit acts of terrorism in the United States.
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Muhammad during his time in the military | |
Born | December 31, 1960 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
---|---|
Died | November 10, 2009 (aged 48) Greensville Correctional Center, Greensville County, Virginia, U.S. |
Cause of death | Execution by lethal injection |
Nationality | United States |
Other names | The Beltway Sniper The D.C. Sniper |
Occupation | U.S. Army soldier |
Criminal penalty | Death (March 9, 2004) |
Details | |
Victims | 10 killed, 3 injured (D.C. metropolitan area) 7 killed, 7 injured elsewhere |
2002–2002 | |
Country | United States of America |
State(s) | Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. |
Date apprehended | October 24, 2002 |
John Allen Muhammad (December 31, 1960 – November 10, 2009) was an American convicted murderer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He, along with his partner / accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo (aged 17), a native of Kingston, Jamaica, carried out the D.C. sniper attacks of October 2002, killing 10 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with the attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert citizens. Although the pair's actions were classified by the media as psychopathy attributable to serial killer characteristics, whether or not their psychopathy meets this classification or that of a spree killer is debated by researchers.[1]
Born as John Allen Williams, Muhammad joined the Nation of Islam in 1987 and later changed his surname to Muhammad.[2]At Muhammad's trial, the prosecutor claimed that the rampage was part of a plot to kill his ex-wife and regain custody of his children, but the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support this argument.[3]
His trial for one of the murders (that of Dean Harold Meyers in Prince William County, Virginia) began in October 2003, and the following month he was found guilty of capital murder. Four months later he was sentenced to death. While awaiting execution in Virginia, in August 2005, he was extradited to Maryland to face some of the charges there. He was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder on May 30, 2006. Upon completion of the trial activity in Maryland, Muhammad was returned to Virginia's death row pending an agreement with another state or the District of Columbia seeking to try him. He was not tried on additional charges in other Virginia jurisdictions, and faced potential trials in three other states and the District of Columbia involving other murders and attempted murders. All appeals of his conviction for killing Dean Harold Meyers had been made and rejected. Appeals for Muhammad's other trials remained pending at the time of his execution.[4]
Muhammad was executed by lethal injection on November 10, 2009, at 9:06 p.m. EST at the Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt, Virginia, and was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m. EST.[5] Muhammad declined to make a final statement.[6]
Early life[edit]
Born John Allen Williams in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Ernest and Eva Williams, he and his family moved to New Orleans when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; she died when he was three years old.[7] After his mother's death, his father left. Williams was mainly raised by his grandfather and an aunt. In 1987, at the age of 27, he joined the Nation of Islam, and in 2001, he changed his name.[8]
As a member of the Nation of Islam, Muhammad helped provide security for the 'Million Man March' in 1995. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan has publicly distanced himself and his organization from Muhammad's crimes.[9]
Muhammad kidnapped his children and brought them to Antigua around 1999, apparently engaging in credit card and immigration document fraud. It was during this time that he became close with Lee Boyd Malvo, who later acted as his partner in the killings. Williams changed his name to John Allen Muhammad in October 2001. After his arrest, authorities also claimed that Muhammad admitted that he admired and modeled himself after Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda, and approved of the September 11 attacks. Malvo testified that Muhammad had indoctrinated him into believing that the proceeds of the extortion attempt would be used to establish 'a camp in Canada where homeless children would be trained as terrorists.'[10][11]
Muhammad was twice divorced; his second ex-wife, Mildred Muhammad, sought and was granted a restraining order. Muhammad was arrested on federal charges of violating the restraining order by possessing a weapon. Under federal law, those with restraining orders are prohibited from purchasing or possessing guns, as per the Lautenberg Amendment to the Gun Control Act of 1968.[12]
Defense attorneys in the Malvo trial, and prosecutors in Muhammad's trial, argued that the ultimate goal of the Beltway sniper murders was to kill Mildred in order to regain custody of his three children.[13]
Military service[edit]
In August 1978, Muhammad enlisted in the Louisiana Army National Guard at Baton Rouge as a combat engineer. Muhammad transferred to the Regular Army on November 6, 1985 and Muhammad's first tour was with the 15th Engineer Battalion at Fort Lewis in 1985. In 1991, he served in the Gulf War with a company that dismantled Iraqi chemical warfare rockets. In 1992, he was at Fort Ord, California, with the 13th Engineers, and in 1993 back at Fort Lewis with the 14th Engineer Battalion.[14]
While in the U.S. Army, Muhammad was trained as a mechanic, truck driver, and specialist metalworker. He qualified with the Army's standard rifle, the M16, earning the Expert Rifleman's Badge. This rating is the Army's highest of three levels of basic rifle marksmanship for a soldier.[15]
Muhammad served in an engineer unit during the 1991 Gulf War. Muhammad received the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).[16][17] He was honorably discharged from the Army on April 24, 1994 after 17 years of service with the rank of Sergeant. For his service in the Army, Muhammad received the following awards: Army Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Overseas Ribbon, Noncommissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, and Army Achievement Medal.[18]
Beltway sniper attacks[edit]
Police followed a lead in which Muhammad or Malvo left a note at one of the shootings to tell the police to investigate a liquor store robbery-murder that had occurred in Montgomery, Alabama. Investigators responding to that crime scene found one of the suspects had dropped a magazine with his fingerprints on it; these were subsequently identified as belonging to a 17-year-old Jamaican illegal immigrant, Lee Boyd Malvo, whose prints were on file with the INS. Malvo was known to associate with Muhammad. They had lived together in Tacoma, Washington, for around one year, where Malvo used the alias John Lee Malvo.[19]
Muhammad's identification led to the discovery that he had purchased a former police car, a blue Chevrolet Caprice, in New Jersey on September 11, 2002.[20][21]
A lookout broadcast to the public on that vehicle resulted in their arrest when it was spotted parked in an Interstate 70 rest stop in Myersville, Maryland.[22]
Criminal case[edit]
On October 24, 2002, Muhammad was captured in Maryland, where most of the attacks and murders took place. Although Maryland sought to bring him to trial, United States attorney generalJohn Ashcroft reassigned[23] the case from the Maryland prosecutor Doug Gansler, a Democrat, to a Republican prosecutor in Virginia, Jerry W. Kilgore. Kilgore was planning to run for governor.[24][25]
Virginia was viewed as the more likely jurisdiction to provide a death sentence, which was borne out by the Virginia and Maryland verdicts, and Virginia also allowed the death penalty for juveniles.[26]
In October 2003, Muhammad went on trial for the murder of Dean Meyers at a Prince William County service station near the city of Manassas. The trial had been moved from Prince William County, to Virginia Beach, approximately 200 miles away. Muhammad was granted the right to represent himself in his defense, and dismissed his legal counsel, though he immediately switched back to having legal representation after his opening argument. He was charged with murder, terrorism, conspiracy and the illegal use of a firearm, and faced a possible death sentence. Prosecutors said the shootings were part of a plot to extort $10 million from local and state governments. The prosecution said that they would make the case for 16 shootings allegedly involving Muhammad. The terrorism charge against Muhammad required prosecutors to prove he committed at least two shootings in a three-year period.[citation needed]
The prosecution called more than 130 witnesses and introduced more than 400 pieces of evidence intended to prove that Muhammad undertook the murders and ordered Malvo to help carry it out. Evidence included a rifle, found in Muhammad's car, that was linked by ballistics tests not only to 8 of the 10 killings in the Washington area but also to two others, in Louisiana and Alabama; the car itself, which was modified so that a sniper could shoot from inside the trunk; and a laptop computer, also found in the car, that contained maps with icons pinpointing shooting scenes. Witness accounts put Muhammad across the street from one shooting and his car near the scene of several others. There was also a recorded phone call to a police hotline in which a man, his voice identified by a detective as Muhammad's, demanded money in exchange for stopping the shootings.[citation needed]
Muhammad's defense asked the court to drop the capital murder charges because there was no direct evidence. Malvo's fingerprints were on the Bushmaster rifle found in Muhammad's car, and DNA from Muhammad was discovered on the rifle, but the defense contended that Muhammad could not be put to death under Virginia's 'trigger-man law' unless he actually pulled the trigger to kill Meyers, and no one testified that they saw him do so.[citation needed]
On November 17, 2003, by verdict of his jury, Muhammad was convicted in Virginia of all four counts in the indictment against him: capital murder for the shooting of Dean H. Meyers; a second charge of capital murder under Virginia's antiterrorism statute, for homicide committed with an intent to terrorize the government or the public at large; conspiracy to commit murder; and the illegal use of a firearm. In the penalty phase of the trial, the jury, after five hours of deliberation over two days, unanimously recommended that Muhammad should be sentenced to death. On March 9, 2004, a Virginia judge agreed with the jury's recommendation and sentenced John Allen Muhammad to death.[citation needed]
On April 22, 2005, the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed his death penalty, stating that Muhammad could be sentenced to death because the murder was part of an act of terrorism. The court also rejected an argument by defense lawyers that he could not be sentenced to death because he was not the triggerman in the killings. Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald W. Lemons said at the time, 'With calculation, extensive planning, premeditation and ruthless disregard for life, Muhammad carried out his cruel scheme of terror.'[citation needed]
In May 2005, Maryland and Virginia reached an agreement to allow his extradition to face Maryland charges, but Muhammad was fighting the action legally. He was held at the maximum security Sussex I State Prison near Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia, which houses Virginia's male death row inmates. While awaiting execution in Virginia, in August 2005, he was extradited to Montgomery County, Maryland to face charges there.[citation needed]
On May 30, 2006, a Maryland jury found John Allen Muhammad guilty of six counts of murder in Maryland. In return, he was sentenced to six consecutive life terms without possibility of parole on June 1, 2006. Neither Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, or Washington (state) moved to try Muhammad, given his death sentence for murder in Virginia. In 2006, Malvo confessed that the pair also killed 14 victims in California, Arizona, and Texas.[citation needed]
On May 6, 2008, it was revealed that Muhammad asked prosecutors in a letter to help him end legal appeals of his conviction and death sentence 'so that you can murder this innocent black man.' An appeal filed by Muhammad's defense lawyers in April 2008 cited evidence of brain damage that would render Muhammad incompetent to make legal decisions, and that he should not have been allowed to represent himself at his Virginia trial.[27]
On September 16, 2009, Muhammad's execution date was set for November 10, 2009.[28][29]
On November 9, 2009, Muhammad's petition for review of his death sentence was denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.[30][31]
Justice Stevens, joined by Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor wrote a separate opinion stating that Virginia's rush to set an execution date 'highlights once again the perversity of executing inmates before their appeals process has been fully concluded,'[32] while noting that they concurred with the decision that the appeal ought not be heard.
Civil case[edit]
In 2003, Malvo and Muhammad were named in a major civil lawsuit by the Legal Action Project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence on behalf of two of their victims who were seriously wounded and the families of some of those murdered. Although Malvo and Muhammad were each believed to be indigent, co-defendants Bull's Eye Shooter Supply and Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. contributed to a landmark $2.5 million out-of-court settlement in late 2004.[33]
Testimony of Lee Boyd Malvo[edit]
In Muhammad's May 2006 trial in Montgomery County, Maryland, Lee Boyd Malvo, who was sentenced to a term of life without parole for his role in the shootings, took the stand and confessed to a more detailed version of the pair's plans. Malvo, after extensive psychological counseling, admitted that he was lying at the earlier Virginia trial where he had admitted to being the trigger-man for every shooting. Malvo claimed he had done this to try to save Muhammad from a potential death penalty sentence, as Malvo, being a minor, would not face the death penalty. In his two days of testimony, Malvo outlined detailed aspects of all the shootings.
Part of his testimony concerned Muhammad's complete multiphase plan. His plan consisted of three phases in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. Phase One consisted of meticulously planning, mapping, and practicing their locations around the DC area. This way after each shooting they would be able to quickly leave the area on a predetermined path, and move on to the next location. Muhammad's goal in Phase One was to kill 6 white people a day for 30 days (180 per month). Malvo described how Phase One did not go as planned due to heavy traffic and the lack of a clear shot and/or getaway routes at different locations.
Phase Two was meant to be undertaken in Baltimore. Malvo described how this phase was close to being implemented, but never was carried out. Phase Two would begin with the killing of a pregnant woman with a shot to the abdomen. The next step would have been to shoot and kill a Baltimore City police officer. Then, at the officer's funeral, they were to detonate several improvised explosive devices complete with shrapnel. These explosives were intended to kill a large number of officers attending the funeral.
Phase Three was to take place very shortly after, if not during, Phase Two. It was to extort several million dollars from the United States government. This money would be used to finance a larger plan to travel north into Canada, stopping enroute at YMCAs and orphanages recruiting other impressionable young boys with no parents or guidance. Muhammad thought he could act as their father figure as he did with Lee Boyd Malvo. Once he recruited a large number of young boys and had arrived in Canada, he would begin their training. Malvo described how Muhammad allegedly intended to train the youths with weapons. After their training was complete, Muhammad would send them out across the United States to carry out mass shootings in many different cities, just as he had done in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.[34][35][36]
Execution[edit]
On September 16, 2009, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Mary Grace O'Brien set a November 10, 2009 execution date for Muhammad.[28][29] On November 9, 2009, the Supreme Court of the United States refused a last-minute appeal.[30][31] On November 10, hours before Muhammad's scheduled execution, pleas for clemency made by his attorneys were denied by Virginia GovernorTim Kaine.[37][38]
Under Virginia law, an inmate is allowed to choose the method by which he or she will be put to death, either lethal injection or electrocution. As Muhammad declined to select a method, by law, the method of lethal injection was selected for him. He was offered a selection of a last meal, which he accepted. J. Wyndal Gordon, Muhammad's attorney, told the Associated Press that Muhammad's last meal consisted of 'chicken and red sauce, and .. some cakes'.[39]
Muhammad declined to make a final statement, and the execution began at 9:00 p.m. EST at the Greensville Correctional Center, Greensville County, near Jarratt, Virginia.[40][41] According to the official statement of the prison spokesperson, the actual lethal injection process started at 9:06 pm EST. He was then pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m. EST.[42][43] Muhammad was the second of three killers in Virginia to be executed at Greensville; the first was Earl Bramblett, who murdered the Hodges family in August 1994, for which he was executed on April 9, 2003, and the third would be Ricky Gray, who murdered the Harvey family on January 1, 2006 during the 2006 Richmond spree murders, for which he was executed by lethal injection on January 18, 2017.
Muhammad's body was cremated and the ashes given to his son in Louisiana.[44]
In film[edit]
Muhammad is portrayed by Bobby Hosea in the 2003 film D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, by Ken Foree in the 2010 film D.C. Sniper, and by Isaiah Washington in the 2013 film Blue Caprice.
See also[edit]
- Ali Muhammad Brown 2014 murder spree
- Vaughan Foods beheading incident (Alton Nolen)
- 2002 Brooklyn Bridge plot (Iyman Faris)
- 2006 Hudson River bomb plot (Assem Hammoud)
- 2008 Long Island Rail Road bomb plot (Bryant Neal Vinas, a.k.a. Ibrahim)
- 2009 New York City Subway and United Kingdom plot (Najibullah Zazi)
- 2009 Springfield bomb plot (Michael Finton, a.k.a. Talib Islam)
- 2009 Dallas bomb plot (Hosam Maher Husein Smadi)
- 2010 Times Square car bombing attempt (Faisal Shahzad)
- 2010 Washington Metro bomb plot (Farooque Ahmed)
- 2011 New York City bomb plot (Jose Pimentel, a.k.a. Muhammad Yufus)
- 2012 United States Capitol bomb plot (Amine El Khalifi)
- 2013 Wichita bomb plot (Terry Lee Loewen)
References[edit]
- ^John Douglas, Ann W. Burgess, Allen G. Burgess, Robert K. Ressler (2011) [2006]. 'Profiling Serial Murderers'. The Crime Classification Manual, 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons. ISBN9781118047187.CS1 maint: Uses authors parameter (link)
- ^'Muhammad a Gulf War vet, Islam convert'. CNN. Time Warner. January 26, 2004. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved September 12, 2005.
- ^'Sniper Threatened to Kill Her, Ex-Wife Tells Court'. Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2003.
Horwitz, Ruane. Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation: Random House; ISBN0-345-47662-X - ^Mears, Bill (November 3, 2009). 'Lawyers ask U.S. Supreme Court to block execution of Beltway sniper'. CNN. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^'D.C. Sniper Muhammad Executed in Virginia', Fox News, November 12, 2009; retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^Meserve, Jeanne; Ahlers, Mike M. (November 11, 2009). 'Sniper John Allen Muhammad executed'. CNN. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
- ^'John Allen Muhammad'(PDF). Radford University. Radford, VA. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^'Muhammad a Gulf War vet, Islam convert: Ex-wife described as 'in shock' over Muhammad's arrest'. January 26, 2004. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
- ^'Minister Louis Farrakhan addresses sniper arrest'. Finalcall.com. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^'Washington Sniper John Allen Muhammad will be executed tonight'. Daily Mail. November 11, 2009. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^'Lee Boyd Malvo - High-profile mass murder cases - Pictures'. CBS News. Retrieved November 30, 2016.
- ^'Identify Prohibited Persons'. ATF.gov. September 30, 1996. Retrieved December 7, 2013.
- ^'Sniper's ex-wife: Muhammad was 'magnet' for children'. CNN.com. December 1, 2003. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^Hess, Pamela (October 24, 2002). 'DC sniper suspect 'expert' Army marksman'. UPI. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^Tizon, Alex (November 10, 2002). 'John Muhammad's Meltdown: The Story of the Beltway Sniper'. The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ^Tackett, Michael (October 25, 2002). 'The Suspects'. The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^'Sniper Suspect's Military Service Details Released'. Department of Defense. October 24, 2002. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^'Muhammad Had 17-Year Army Career'. Fox News. Associated Press. October 25, 2002. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^White, Josh (September 29, 2012). 'Lee Boyd Malvo, 10 years after D.C. area sniper shootings: 'I was a monster''. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^McFadden, Robert. 'RETRACING A TRAIL: THE VEHICLE'. The New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^Siegel, Andrea (May 18, 2006). 'Sniper jurors view Caprice'. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^'Sniper-Spotting Trucker a Humble Hero'. Fox News. October 25, 2002. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^United States Department of Justice – Statement Of The Attorney General of the United States in re: Jurisdictional Motions of the Several States Seeking Relief For Primary Jurisdiction; Awarding of Jurisdiction to the Commonwealth of Virginia, The Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County.
- ^Savage, David G. (September 16, 2009). 'D.C. sniper set to be executed Tuesday'. LA Times. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
- ^'Timeline: Investigation and court case'. CBC News. May 24, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
- ^Jackman, Tom; Snyder, David (May 11, 2005). 'Va. Will Send Snipers To Md. for Prosecution'. Washington Post. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on May 7, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008.CS1 maint: Archived copy as title (link)
- ^ abMarkon, Jerry (September 17, 2009). 'November Execution Date Set for Muhammad'. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ ab'Execution date set for US sniper'. BBC News. September 16, 2009. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
- ^ abBarnes, Robert (November 9, 2009). 'Supreme court denies request to stay D.C. sniper's execution'. The Washington Post. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
- ^ abDavid G. Savage (November 9, 2009). 'Supreme Court refuses to halt Beltway sniper's execution'. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^Stevens, John Paul (November 9, 2009). 'Statement of Stevens, J. On Application for Stay and on Petition For a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit'(PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
- ^'Gunmaker, Store Agree To Payout in Sniper Case'. Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
- ^Mount, Harry (June 25, 2006). 'The sniper's plan: kill six whites a day for 30 days'. The Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^'Accomplice reveals Washington sniper's terror plan'. The Guardian. May 23, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^Ahlers, Mike (May 23, 2006). 'Malvo: Muhammad 'made me a monster' Younger man cross-examined by former mentor in sniper trial'. CNN. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
- ^White, Josh; Glod, Maria (November 11, 2009). 'Muhammad is executed for sniper killing'. Washington Post.
- ^'Statement of Governor Kaine On the Scheduled Execution of John Allen Muhammad'. November 17, 2003. Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
- ^Meserve, Jeanne; Mike M. Ahlers (November 11, 2009). 'Sniper John Allen Muhammad executed'. Jarratt, Virginia: CNN. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
The lawyer said Muhammad's last meal was 'chicken and red sauce, and he had some cakes.
- ^Dena Potter. 'Kaine Clears Way for Sniper's Execution'. AOL News. Archived from the original on November 11, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^'Kaine Clears Way for D.C. Sniper's Execution'. NBC Washington. Associated Press.
- ^Potter, Dena (November 11, 2009). 'Silent DC sniper mastermind Muhammad executed'. Yahoo! News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
- ^Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Corrections Announcement Of Death Press Conference, as carried on CNN.
- ^'Son of Infamous 'D.C. Sniper' John Allen Muhammad Lives in Dad's Shadow'. ABC News. Archived from the original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
External links[edit]
- An Angry Telephone Call Provided One Crucial Clue, The New York Times, October 25, 2002 – explains tracking and arrest of Muhammad
- Louis Farrakhan addresses sniper arrest Press Conference Transcript, October 26, 2002
- CNN Special Report: Sniper Attacks, the legal case at the Wayback Machine (archived June 5, 2008)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Allen_Muhammad&oldid=898345024'
(Redirected from Beltway sniper attacks)
Beltway sniper attacks | |
---|---|
Locations of the fifteen sniper attacks in the D.C. area numbered chronologically | |
Location | Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Arizona |
Date | February 16, 2002 – September 26, 2002 (preliminary shootings) October 2, 2002 – October 24, 2002 (sniper attacks) |
Target | Civilians in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area |
Spree killing, mass murder, domestic terrorism | |
Weapons | Bushmaster XM-15 rifle, .223 Remington/ 5.56x45mm NATO Carbine Rifle (preliminary shootings) |
Deaths | 17 total:
|
Non-fatal injuries | 10 total:
|
Perpetrators | John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo |
The D.C. sniper attacks (also known as the Beltway sniper attacks) were a series of coordinated shootings that occurred during three weeks in October 2002, in the states of Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Ten people were killed and three others were critically wounded in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and along Interstate 95 in Virginia.
The snipers were John Allen Muhammad (aged 41 at the time) and Lee Boyd Malvo (aged 17 at the time), who traveled in a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice sedan. Their crime spree, begun in February 2002, included murders and robberies in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, which resulted in seven deaths and seven wounded people; in ten months, the snipers killed 17 people and wounded 10 others.[1]
In September 2003, Muhammad was sentenced to death, and in October, the juvenile, Malvo, was sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without parole. In November 2009, Muhammad was put to death by lethal injection.
In 2017, Malvo's conviction to a life sentence without parole was overturned on appeal in Virginia, with re-sentencing ordered pursuant to the Supreme Court's ruling in the case of Miller v. Alabama (2012), which voided mandatory life-sentence punishments for juvenile criminals as legally unconstitutional. Under the re-sentencing, Malvo's minimum prison sentence will be determined by a judge; the available maximum sentence would be life imprisonment. The ruling does not apply to the six life sentences Malvo received in Maryland.[2]
- 2Attacks in the Baltimore-Washington Area
- 4Investigation
- 5Conclusions of investigations
- 6Aftermath
- 6.1Criminal prosecutions
- 7In popular culture
Preliminary shootings[edit]
On February 16, 2002, 21-year-old Keenya Cook was shot and killed by Lee Malvo at the front door of her aunt's home in Tacoma, Washington. Cook's aunt, Isa Nichols, had been good friends with John Allen Muhammed's ex-wife Mildred and had encouraged her to seek a divorce.[3]
On March 19, 2002, Jerry Taylor, 60, was killed by a single shot to the chest fired from long range as he practiced chip shots at a Tucson, Arizona golf course.[4][5] Muhammed's sister lived near the golf course and he was visiting her during the shooting.[6] Two deaths and four injuries followed in other states from March through July 2002.
On August 1, 2002, John Gaeta, 51, was changing a tire at a parking lot in Hammond, Louisiana, and was shot in the neck by Malvo.[7] The bullet exited through Gaeta's back, and he pretended to be dead while Malvo stole his wallet. Gaeta ran to a service station after the shooter left and discovered that he was bleeding; he went to a hospital and was released within an hour. On March 1, 2010, he received a letter of apology from Malvo.[8]
On September 5, 2002, at 10:30 p.m., Paul LaRuffa, a 55-year-old pizzeria owner, was shot six times at close range while locking up his Italian restaurant in Clinton, Maryland. LaRuffa survived the shooting, and his laptop computer was found in John Allen Muhammad's car when he and Malvo were arrested.[9]
On September 21, 2002, at 12:15 a.m., 41-year-old Million A. Woldemariam was fatally shot in the head and back with a .22-caliber pistol in Atlanta, Georgia. Woldemariam was helping the owner of a Sammy's Package Store close up for the night when the shooting occurred.[10]
Nineteen hours later on the same day, Claudine Parker,[11] a 52-year-old liquor store clerk in Montgomery, Alabama, was shot in the chest and killed during a robbery. Her co-worker, 24-year-old Kellie Adams, was critically wounded with a shot through the neck but survived. Evidence found at the crime scene eventually tied this killing to the Beltway attacks and allowed authorities to identify Muhammad and Malvo as suspects,[12] although this connection was not made until October 17.
On September 23, 2002, at 6:30 p.m., 45-year-old Hong Im Ballenger was shot in the head and killed with a Bushmaster rifle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[13][14] Muhammad and Malvo were later linked to the killing.[15]
Attacks in the Baltimore-Washington Area[edit]
Montgomery County, Maryland[edit]
A hole was cut at the rear of the blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice driven by Muhammad and Malvo, as a firing port to be used during their attacks.[16] This allowed them to remain hidden and escape the scene following their attacks.
At 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, October 2, 2002, a shot was fired through a window of a Michaels craft store in Aspen Hill. The bullet narrowly missed Ann Chapman, a cashier at the store. Since no one was injured, no serious alarms were raised.[17] However, approximately one hour later, at 6:30 p.m., James Martin, a 55-year-old program analyst at NOAA, was shot and killed at 2201 Randolph Road in the parking lot of a Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery store, located in Wheaton.[18]
On the morning of October 3, four people were shot dead within a span of approximately two hours in Aspen Hill and other nearby areas in Montgomery County. Another was killed that evening in the Takoma neighborhood of the District of Columbia.
- At 7:41 a.m., James L. Buchanan, a 39-year-old landscaper known as 'Sonny', was shot dead at 11411 Rockville Pike near Rockville, Maryland. Buchanan was shot while mowing the grass at the Fitzgerald Auto Malls.
- At 8:12 a.m., 54-year-old part-time taxi driver, Prem Kumar Walekar, was killed in Aspen Hill in Montgomery County, while pumping gasoline into his taxi at a Mobil station at Aspen Hill Road and Connecticut Avenue.
- At 8:37 a.m., Sarah Ramos, a 34-year-old babysitter and housekeeper, was killed at 3701 Rossmoor Boulevard at the Leisure World Shopping Center in Norbeck. She had gotten off a bus and was seated on a bench reading a book.[18]
- At 9:58 a.m., in what was to be the last killing of the morning, 25-year-old Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera was killed while vacuuming her Dodge Caravan at the Shell station at the intersection of Connecticut and Knowles Avenues in Kensington, Maryland.
- The snipers then waited until 9:20 p.m. before shooting Pascal Charlot, a 72-year-old retired carpenter, while he was walking on Georgia Avenue at Kalmia Road, in Washington, D.C. Charlot died less than an hour later.
In each shooting, the victims were killed by a single bullet fired from some distance and in each case, the killers struck and then vanished. This pattern was not detected until after the shootings occurred on October 3.[19]
Fear quickly spread throughout the region as news of the shootings spread. At a press conference meeting, Chief of Police for Montgomery County, MD, Charles Moose informed parents that schools were on a code blue alert; keeping children indoors and that for the time being the schools were safe. Many parents went to pick up their children at school early, not allowing them to take a school bus or walk home. Montgomery County Public Schools, District of Columbia Public Schools, and private schools went into a lockdown, with no recess or outdoor physical education classes. Other school districts in the area also took precautionary measures, keeping students indoors.[20]
Police had only a few pieces of evidence to work with; including one initial report that during the Silver Spring attack[clarification needed] someone had reportedly seen a white box truck. After the murder in Washington D.C., witnesses then began telling police that they had seen a blue Chevrolet Caprice instead of the white box truck. They also had initially believed that all the murders were carried out with the use of a .223 caliber rifle.
Virginia and other areas[edit]
The stolen Bushmaster XM-15 rifle used by Muhammad and Malvo during their attacks. It was fitted with an EOTechholographic weapon sight, a bipod, and a 20-round magazine at the time of their capture.
At this point Malvo and Muhammad started covering a wider area and taking two or three days between shootings.
- On October 4, 43-year-old homemaker Caroline Seawell was wounded in the chest at 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of another Michaels store at Spotsylvania Mall in Spotsylvania, while she was loading purchases into her minivan. By this point, hundreds of journalists had converged to cover the unfolding events. School officials reassured the public that they were taking every measure possible to protect children: by tightening security and canceling all outdoor activities.
- On October 7, at 8:09 a.m., Iran Brown, a 13-year-old student, was shot in the chest and critically wounded as he arrived at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School at 4901 Collington Road in Bowie, Maryland, in Prince George's County[21] (Brown's name was initially concealed from the public but was later revealed). His aunt, a nurse who had just brought him to school, rushed him to a hospital emergency room. Despite serious injuries, including damage to several major organs, Brown survived the attack and ultimately testified at Muhammad's trial.[22] At this crime scene the authorities discovered a shell casing as well as a Tarot card (the Death card) inscribed with the phrase, 'Call me God' on the front and, on three separate lines on the back, 'For you mr. Police.' 'Code: 'Call me God'.' 'Do not release to the press.'[21][23] Despite police efforts to honor the request not to release information about the card to the press, details were made public by WUSA-TV and then by The Washington Post, just one day later.[24]
- On October 9 at 8:18 p.m., 53-year-old civil engineer Dean Harold Meyers was shot dead while pumping gasoline at a Sunoco gas station at 7203 Sudley Road in Prince William County, Virginia, near the city of Manassas.
- On the morning of October 11 at 9:30 a.m., 53-year-old businessman Kenneth Bridges was shot dead while pumping fuel at an Exxon station off Interstate 95 in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near Fredericksburg.[21][25]
- On October 14, at 9:15 p.m., 47-year-old Linda Franklin (née Moore), an FBIintelligence analyst who was a resident of Arlington County, Virginia, was shot dead in a covered parking lot at Home Depot in Fairfax County, Virginia, just outside Falls Church at Seven Corners Shopping Center.[21] The police received what seemed to be a very good lead after the October 14 shooting, but it was later determined that the witness was inside the Home Depot at the time and was lying. The witness was subsequently arrested for interfering with the investigation.
By this point, gas stations had begun to put tarps up to conceal their customers (see Public reaction, below). Malvo and Muhammad did not commit any more shootings for five days.
On October 19 at 8:00 p.m., 37-year-old Jeffrey Hopper was shot in a parking lot near the Ponderosa Steakhouse at State Route 54 in Ashland, Virginia, about 90 miles (145 km) south of Washington, near Interstate 95. His wife Stephanie called out to passers-by, who phoned for an ambulance, enabling Hopper to survive his injuries. Authorities discovered a four-page letter from the shooter in the woods that demanded $10 million and made a threat to children.
On October 21, Richmond-area police arrested two men, one with a white van, outside a gas station. The men turned out to be illegal immigrants with no connection to the shooter and they were remanded in the custody of what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which subsequently deported them.
The next day, October 22, bus driver Conrad Johnson, 35, was shot at 5:56 a.m. while standing on the steps of his bus at the 14100 block of Grand Pre Road in Aspen Hill, Maryland. Chief Moose released part of the content of one of the shooter's letters, in which he declares, 'Your children are not safe, anywhere, at any time'. Johnson later died of his injuries.[21]
While no shootings occurred on October 23, the day is significant for two events. First, ballistics experts confirmed Johnson as the 10th fatality in the Beltway shootings. Second, in a yard in Tacoma, Washington, police searched with metal detectors for bullets, shell casings, or other evidence that might provide a link to the shooters. A tree stump believed to have been used for target practice was seized.
Public reaction[edit]
With seven separate shooting victims, including six deaths, in the first 15 hours of the D.C. area spree, the North American media soon devoted enormous coverage to the shootings. By the middle of October 2002, all news television networks provided live coverage of the aftermath of each attack, with the coverage often lasting for hours at a time. The Fox show America's Most Wanted devoted an entire episode to the shooters in hopes of aiding in their capture. Much of the coverage of the case in The New York Times was written by Jayson Blair and subsequently found to be fabricated; the ensuing scandal led the newspaper's two top editors, Howell Raines and Gerald Boyd, to resign.
During the weeks when the attacks occurred, fear of the apparently random shootings generated a great deal of public apprehension, especially at service stations and the parking lots of large stores. People pumping gasoline at gas stations would walk around their cars quickly, hoping that they would be a harder target to hit. Some stations put up tarps around the awnings over the fuel pumps so people would feel safer. Also, many people would attempt to fuel their vehicles at the naval base of the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, as they felt it was safer inside the guarded fence. Various government buildings such as the White House, U.S. Capitol, and the Supreme Court building, and memorial tourist attractions at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. also received heightened security. For the duration of the attacks, United States Senate pages received a driven police escort to and from the United States Capitol every day and were not allowed to leave their residence hall for any reason except work. Drivers of white vans and box trucks were viewed with suspicion from other motorists as initial media reports indicated the suspect may be driving such a vehicle.[26]
After the specific threat against children was delivered, many school groups curtailed field trips and outdoors athletic activities based upon safety concerns. At the height of the public fear, some school districts, such as Henrico County Public Schools and Hanover County Public Schools, after the Ponderosa shooting, simply closed school for the day. Other schools such as the MJBHA, canceled all outdoor activities after the shooting at the Connecticut and Aspen Hill intersection. Others changed after-school procedures for parents to pick up their kids to minimize the amount of time children spent in the open. Extra police officers were placed in schools because of this fear. In addition to this, Joel Schumacher's film Phone Booth was deemed potentially upsetting enough that its release was delayed for months.[27]
Investigation[edit]
Charles Moose, Chief of the Montgomery County Department of Police.
The investigation was publicly headed by the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and its chief, Charles Moose. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the FBI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and police departments in other jurisdictions where shootings took place, provided assistance in the investigation.[28]
Police responded within minutes to reports of attacks during the three weeks of the sniper attacks, cordoning off nearby roads and highways and inspecting all drivers, thereby grinding traffic to a halt for hours at a time. Police canvassed the area, talking to people, and collected surveillance tapes.[28]
By Friday night, October 4, the five shootings on October 3 and two on October 2 were forensically linked to the same gun.[29]
Eyewitness accounts of the attacks were mostly confused and spotty. Hotlines set up for the investigation were flooded with tips. Early tips from eyewitnesses included reports of a white box truck with dark lettering, speeding away from the Leisure World shopping center, with two men inside. Police across the area and the state of Maryland were pulling over white vans and trucks.[17] A gray car was spotted speeding away after the October 4 shooting in Spotsylvania.[29]
The shooter attempted to engage the police in a dialogue, compelling Moose to tell the media cryptic messages intended for the sniper. At several scenes Tarot cards were left as calling cards, including one Death card upon which was written 'Call me God' on the front and on the back on three separate lines the words, 'For you mr. Police.' 'Code: 'Call me God'.' 'Do not release to the press.'[30] This information was leaked to the press and misquoted often as 'I am God' or some similar misquote of the actual words on the tarot card.[30] Later scenes had long, handwritten notes carefully sealed inside plastic bags, including a rambling one that demanded $10,000,000 and threatened the lives of children in the area.
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A telephone call from the shooter(s) was traced to a pay telephone at a gasoline station in Henrico County, Virginia. Police missed the suspects by a matter of a few minutes, and initially detained occupants of a van at another pay telephone at the same intersection.
On the phone call, the sniper, boasting of his cleverness, also mentioned a previous unsolved murder in 'Montgomery'.[31] This was identified as the September 21 shooting at a liquor store in Montgomery, Alabama. On October 17 authorities said they matched Malvo's fingerprint found at the Benjamin Tasker Middle School site with one lifted from the liquor store scene.[32] After further research into Malvo's background it was discovered he had close ties to John Allen Muhammad.
Difficult progress[edit]
Despite an apparent lack of progress publicly, federal authorities were making significant headway in their investigation and developed leads in Washington state, Alabama, and New Jersey. They learned that Muhammad's ex-wife, who had obtained a protective order against him, lived near the Capital Beltway in Clinton, a community in suburban Prince George's County, Maryland. Information was also developed about an automobile purchased in New Jersey by Muhammad.
Police discovered that the New Jersey license plate number issued for Muhammad's 1990 Chevrolet Caprice had been checked by radio patrol cars several times near shooting locations in various jurisdictions in several states, but the car had not been stopped because law enforcement computer networks did not indicate that it was connected to any criminal activity and they were focused exclusively on the 'white van'.
On October 3, 2002, police in Washington, D.C. stopped the Caprice for a 'minor traffic infraction', two hours prior to the shooting of Pascal Charlot, after which witnesses reported seeing a Caprice near the scene.
On October 8, 2002, Baltimore Police Department investigated a dark blue Chevrolet Caprice with a person sleeping inside parked near the Jones Falls Expressway at 28th St. in Baltimore. The officers were concerned that the driver's license was from Washington state while the vehicle was registered in New Jersey. Although the vehicle was suspicious enough for them to investigate, and it fit the description of a vehicle associated with the shooting in Washington, D.C. five days earlier, the officers did not question the occupants extensively, nor did they search the vehicle.
Authorities were quick to issue a media alert to the public to be on the lookout for a dark blue Chevrolet Caprice sedan. For the public, as well as for law enforcement agencies throughout the region, this was a major change from the mysterious 'white box truck' earlier sought based upon reported sightings.
The Chevrolet Caprice was also later discovered to have formerly been used as an undercover police car in Bordentown, New Jersey.[33]
Arrest[edit]
The rest area in which Muhammad and Malvo were captured; the blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice driven by them is visible.
The blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice driven by Muhammad and Malvo, at the rest area where they were captured. Glass shards on the ground are a result of the shattering of the car's windows during the arrest.
The crime spree came to a close at 3:15 a.m. on October 24, 2002, when Muhammad and Malvo were found sleeping in their car, a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice (which had been dismissed earlier in the investigation), at a rest stop off of Interstate 70 near Myersville, Maryland, and arrested on federal weapons charges. Police were tipped off by Whitney Donahue, who noticed the parked car. Four hours earlier, Montgomery County police chief Charles Moose had relayed this cryptic message to the sniper: 'You have indicated that you want us to do and say certain things. You have asked us to say, 'We have caught the sniper like a duck in a noose.' We understand that hearing us say this is important to you'. Moose asked the media 'to carry the message accurately and often.'[34] This mysterious and arguable reference to a Cherokee fable has never been explained.
Trooper First Class D. Wayne Smith of the Maryland State Police was the first to arrive at the scene and immediately used his light blue unmarked police vehicle to block off the exit by positioning the car sideways between two parked tractor-trailers. As more troopers arrived at the scene, the rest area was effectively sealed off at both the entrance and exit ramps without the suspects being aware of a rapidly growing police presence. Later, as truck driver Ron Lantz was attempting to exit the rest area, his tractor-trailer was commandeered by troopers who used the truck, in place of the police car, to complete the roadblock at the exit. With the suspects' escape route sealed off, the SWAT officers then moved in to arrest them. A stolen Bushmaster.223-caliber weapon and bipod were found in a bag in Muhammad's car. Ballistics tests later conclusively linked the seized rifle to 11 of the 14 shootings, including one in which no one was hurt.[35]
Conclusions of investigations[edit]
Logistics and tactics[edit]
The attacks were carried out with a stolen Bushmaster XM-15semiautomatic .223 caliber rifle equipped with an EOTechholographic weapon sight which is effective at ranges of up to 300 meters (984 feet), which was found in the vehicle.[36][37] The trunk of the Chevrolet Caprice was modified to serve as a 'rolling sniper's nest'. The back seat was modified to allow a person access to the trunk. Once inside, the sniper could lie prone with shots taken from a small hole near the license plate created for that purpose.[38]
Motive[edit]
Investigators and the prosecution suggested during pre-trial motions that Muhammad intended to kill his second ex-wife Mildred, who he felt had estranged him from his children. According to this theory, the other shootings were intended to cover up the motive for the crime, since Muhammad believed that the police would not focus on an estranged ex-husband as a suspect if she looked like a random victim of a serial killer. Muhammad frequented the neighborhood where she lived during the attacks, and some of the incidents occurred nearby. Additionally, he had earlier made threats against her. Mildred herself made the claim that she was his intended target. However, Judge LeRoy Millette Jr. prevented prosecutors from presenting that theory during the trial, saying that a link had not been firmly established.
While imprisoned, Malvo wrote a number of erratic diatribes about what he termed 'jihad' against the United States. 'I have been accused on my mission. Allah knows I'm gonna suffer now,' he wrote. Because his rants and drawings featured not only such figures as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, but also characters from the film series The Matrix, these musings were dismissed as immaterial.[39] Some investigators reportedly said they had all but eliminated terrorist ties or political ideologies as a motive.[40][41][42] Nonetheless, in at least one of the ensuing murder trials, a Virginia court found Muhammad guilty of killing 'pursuant to the direction or order' of terrorism.[43]
At the 2006 trial of Muhammad, Malvo testified that the aim of the killing spree was to kidnap children for the purpose of extorting money from the government and to 'set up a camp to train children how to terrorize cities,'[44] with the ultimate goal being to 'shut things down' across the United States.[45]
Aftermath[edit]
Criminal prosecutions[edit]
Virginia trials[edit]
Before the trial, Chief Moose engaged in a publicity tour for his book on the sniper investigation, including appearances on Dateline NBC, The Today Show, and The Tonight Show. Assistant Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney James Willett told The Washington Post, 'Personally, I don't understand why someone who's been in law enforcement his whole life would potentially damage our case or compromise a jury pool by doing this.'[46]
Change of venue requests by defense attorneys were granted, and the first trials were held in the independent cities of Chesapeake and Virginia Beach in southeastern Virginia, more than 100 miles (160 km) from the closest alleged attack (in Ashland, Virginia).
During their trials in the fall of 2003, involving two of the victims in Virginia, Muhammad and Malvo were each found guilty of murder and weapons charges. The jury in Muhammad's case recommended that he be sentenced to death, while Malvo's jury recommended a sentence of life in prison without parole instead of the death penalty. The judges concurred in both cases. Alabama law enforcement authorities allege that the snipers engaged in a series of previously unconnected attacks prior to October 2 in Montgomery, Alabama. Other charges are also pending in Maryland and other communities in Virginia.
After the initial convictions and sentencing, Will Jarvis, the Assistant Prince William County prosecutor, stated he would wait to decide whether to try Malvo on capital charges in his jurisdiction until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on whether juveniles may be subject to the penalty of execution. While that decision in an unrelated case was still pending before the high court, in October 2004, under a plea agreement, Malvo pleaded guilty in another case in Spotsylvania County, for another murder to avoid a possible death penalty sentence, and agreed to additional sentencing of life imprisonment without parole. Malvo had yet to face trial in Prince William County.
In March 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in Roper v. Simmons that the Eighth Amendment prohibits execution for crimes committed when under the age of 18. In light of this Supreme Court decision, the prosecutors in Prince William County decided not to pursue the charges against Malvo. Prosecutors in Maryland, Louisiana, and Alabama were still interested in putting both Malvo and Muhammad on trial. As Malvo was 17 when he committed the crimes, he could no longer face the death penalty but still could be extradited to Alabama, Louisiana, and other states for prosecution. At the time of the Roper v. Simmons ruling, Malvo was 20 years old and was held at Virginia's maximum security Red Onion State Prison in Pound in Wise County.
'Muhammad, with his sniper team partner, Malvo, randomly selected innocent victims,' Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald Lemons wrote in the decision. 'With calculation, extensive planning, premeditation and ruthless disregard for life, Muhammad carried out his cruel scheme of terror.'
Muhammad's death penalty was affirmed by the Virginia Supreme Court on April 22, 2005, when it ruled that he could be sentenced to death because the murder was part of an act of terrorism. This line of reasoning was based on the handwritten note demanding $10 million. The court rejected an argument by defense lawyers that Muhammad could not be sentenced to death because he was not the triggerman in the killings linked to him and Malvo.
On September 16, the circuit court judge Mary Grace O'Brien set an execution date by lethal injection for November 10, 2009.[47] His attorneys petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution, but it was denied.[48] They also requested clemency from Virginia GovernorTim Kaine, but this was denied as well.[49] The execution began shortly after 9 p.m. on November 10, and he was pronounced dead at 9:11 p.m.[50]
Maryland trials[edit]
In May 2005, Virginia and Maryland announced that they had reached agreements to allow Maryland to proceed with prosecuting charges there, where the most shootings occurred. There were media reports that Malvo and his legal team were willing to negotiate his cooperation, and he waived extradition to Maryland.
Muhammad and his legal team responded by fighting extradition to Maryland. Muhammad's legal team was ultimately unsuccessful, and extradition was ordered by a Virginia judge in August 2005.
Maryland agreed to transfer Muhammad and Malvo back to the Commonwealth of Virginia after their trials. A date for Muhammad's pending execution in Virginia had been set for November 10, 2009.[51] Artcam jewelsmith free.
Malvo pleaded guilty to six murders and confessed to others in other states while being interviewed in Maryland and testifying against Muhammad. Malvo was sentenced to six consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole, but in 2017, his sentence in Virginia was overturned after an appeal.[52]
On May 30, 2006, a Maryland jury found John Allen Muhammad guilty of six counts of murder in Maryland. In return, he was sentenced to six consecutive life terms without possibility of parole on June 1, 2006.
On May 6, 2008, it was revealed that Muhammad had asked prosecutors in a letter to help him end legal appeals of his conviction and death sentence 'so that you can murder this innocent black man.' An appeal filed by Muhammad's defense lawyers in April 2008 cited evidence of brain damage that might render Muhammad incompetent to make legal decisions, and that he should not have been allowed to represent himself at his Virginia trial.
Malvo testimony[edit]
In John Allen Muhammad's May 2006 trial in Montgomery County, Maryland, Lee Boyd Malvo took the stand and confessed to the 17 murders.[53] He also gave a more detailed version of the pair's plans. Malvo, after extensive psychological counseling, admitted that he was lying at the earlier Virginia trial where he had admitted to being the trigger man for every shooting. Malvo claimed that he had said this in order to protect Muhammad from a potential death sentence, and because it was more difficult to obtain the death penalty for a minor. Malvo said that he wanted to do what little he could for the families of the victims by letting the full story be told. In his two days of testimony, Malvo outlined detailed aspects of all the shootings.
Part of his testimony concerned Muhammad's complete multiphase plan. His plan consisted of three phases in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metro areas. Phase one consisted of meticulously planning, mapping, and practicing their locations around the D.C. area. This way after each shooting, they would be able to quickly leave the area on a predetermined path, and move on to the next location. Muhammad's goal in Phase One was to kill six white people a day for 30 days. Malvo went on to describe how Phase One did not go as planned due to heavy traffic and the lack of a clear shot or getaway at locations.
Phase Two was meant to take place in Baltimore, Maryland. Malvo described how this phase was close to being implemented, but was not carried out. Phase Two was intended to begin by killing a pregnant woman by shooting her in the stomach. The next step would have been to shoot and kill a Baltimore police officer. Then, at the officer's funeral, they planned to detonate several improvised explosive devices complete with shrapnel. These explosives were intended to kill a large number of police, since many police would attend another officer's funeral.
The last phase was to take place during or shortly after Phase Two, which was to extort several million dollars from the United States government. This money would be used to finance a larger plan, to travel north to Canada. Along the way, they would stop in YMCAs and orphanages recruiting other impressionable young boys with no parents or guidance. Muhammad thought he could act as their father figure as he did with Malvo.
Once he recruited a large number of young boys and made his way up to Canada, he would begin their training. Malvo described how John Muhammad intended to train boys in weapons and stealth as he had been taught. Finally, after their training was complete, John Allen Muhammad would send them out across the United States to carry out mass shootings in many other cities, just as he had done in Washington and Baltimore. These attacks would be coordinated and be intended to send the country into chaos that had already been built up after 9/11.
Civil and regulatory actions[edit]
According to The Seattle Times in a story of April 20, 2003, Muhammad had honed his marksmanship at Bull's Eye's firing range. The newspaper also reported that Malvo told investigators that he shoplifted the 35-inch-long (89 cm) carbine from the 'supposedly secure store.'[54]
According to U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) officials, the store and its owners had a long history of firearms sales and records violations and a file 283 pages thick. In July 2003, the ATF revoked the federal firearms license of Brian Borgelt, a former Staff Sergeant with the U.S. Army Rangers and owner of Bull's Eye Shooter Supply. Later that month he transferred ownership of the store to a friend and continued to own the building and operate the adjacent shooting gallery.[55]
On January 16, 2003, the Legal Action Project of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, on behalf of the families of many of the victims of the sniper attacks both in and out of the D.C. area who were killed (including Hong Im Ballenger, 'Sonny' Buchanan Jr., Linda Franklin, Conrad Johnson, Sarah Ramos, and James L. Premkumar Walekar) as well as two victims who survived the shooting (Rupinder 'Benny' Oberoi and 13-year old Iran Brown) filed a civil lawsuit against Bull's Eye Shooter Supply and Bushmaster Firearms, Inc. of Windham, Maine, the gun distributor and manufacturer that made the rifle used in the crime spree, as well as Borgelt, Muhammad, and Malvo. Muhammad, who had a criminal record of domestic battery, and Malvo, a minor, were each legally prohibited from purchasing firearms.
The suit claimed that Bull's Eye Shooter Supply ran its gun store in Tacoma, Washington, 'in such a grossly negligent manner that scores of its guns routinely 'disappeared' from its store and it kept such shoddy records that it could not account for the Bushmaster rifle used in the sniper shootings when asked by federal agents for records of sale for the weapon.' It was alleged that the dealer could not account for hundreds of guns received from manufacturers in the years immediately prior to the Beltway sniper attacks. It was also claimed that Bull's Eye continued to sell guns in the same irresponsible manner even after Muhammad and Malvo were caught and found to have acquired the weapon there. Bushmaster was included in the suit because it allegedly continued to sell guns to Bull's Eye as a dealer despite an awareness of its record-keeping violations.
The case had been set for trial in April 2005; however the parties settled before then. Bushmaster said it settled because of escalating legal fees and the dwindling amount of insurance money it had left for the case. Bull's Eye contributed $2 million and Bushmaster contributed $500,000 to an out-of-court settlement. Bushmaster also agreed to educate its dealers on safer business practices.[56]
Beltway Sniper Attacks
After the settlement was announced, WTOP radio in Washington, D.C., reported that Sonia Wills, mother of victim Conrad Johnson, said her family took part in the lawsuit more to send a message than to collect money. 'I think a message was delivered that you should be responsible and accountable for the actions of irresponsible people when you make these guns and put them in their hands,' she said.[57]
Execution of John Allen Muhammad[edit]
In the days leading up to his execution, John Allen Muhammad spent time with his lawyer working out a final appeal to the Supreme Court. It was reported that the two had become close friends, with Muhammad telling his lawyer, 'I love you, brother,' and granting him permission to write a book about the trial.[58]
Muhammad was executed by lethal injection at the Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia on November 10, 2009.[59] The execution procedure began at 9:06 p.m. EST; Muhammad was pronounced dead five minutes later. It was reported that when asked if he had any last words, Muhammad made no reply. Twenty-seven people, including victims' family members, witnessed his execution.[60]
Memorials[edit]
Brookside Gardens' Reflection Terrace was built in fall 2004 in memory of the sniper victims
A memorial to the victims of the D.C. area sniper attacks is located at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland.[61] An additional memorial was constructed in 2014 in the government plaza of Rockville, Maryland.
In popular culture[edit]
Film and television[edit]
- Law & Order aired an episode titled 'Sheltered' which was released May 14, 2003, according to Internet Movie Database IMDb; and demonstrated elements that correlate with the DC sniper attacks case.
- The sniper attacks and subsequent investigation were documented in the season 7 episode of Forensic Files titled 'The Sniper's Trail', which aired July 12, 2003.
- On October 17, 2003, the USA Network's U.S. cable station aired D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, a television movie based on the 2002 sniper attacks.
- During the fall of 2007, BET showcased a documentary on the Beltway snipers in its American Gangster series.
- In June 2008, Barbara Kopple released her documentary The D.C. Sniper's Wife, which told the story through the eyes of Mildred Muhammad, wife of John Allen Muhammad. Mildred was to appear on CNN's Larry King Live on November 9, the day before her ex-husband's execution.
- An episode of Serial.., a TLC show about serial killers, also covered the shootings.
- The 2009 film, D.C. Sniper, directed by Ulli Lommel, is based on the attacks.
- On January 3, 2011, Canadian actor William Shatner spoke at length with three survivors of the sniper shootings—Paul LaRuffa, Kellie Adams, and Caroline Seawell—on The Biography Channel's Aftermath with William Shatner.
- The 2013 film Blue Caprice, also known as The Washington Snipers in some regions, is based on the attacks, focusing heavily on the father-son relationship between Muhammed and Malvo.
- The attacks were mentioned in the TV show Castle by Richard Castle in S4E9 'Kill Shot'.
- On July 22, 2015, an episode of the Lifetime Movie Network's Monster in My Family featured Mildred Muhammad meeting with surviving victims along with family members of the deceased, with Lee Malvo also appearing in the episode while in prison.[62][63]
- In an episode of The Cleveland Show, the main character makes a reference saying 'Why can't you be more like the D.C. Sniper's son?'.[64]
- An episode of FBI, which aired October 16, 2018, contained many elements similar to the D.C. Sniper story.[65]
- An episode of Murder Made Me Famous, which aired November 10, 2018, chronicled the case.[66]
- The 2019 American independent drama, Desert Shores is set during the sniper attacks and contains references to the incidents as well as actual news footage and recordings. It is based on George McCormick's short story D.C.[67]
Publications[edit]
- In 2003, former Montgomery County police chief Charles Moose, the primary official in charge of the Beltway sniper attacks, published Three Weeks in October.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'Sniper reportedly details 4 new shootings'. kxmb.com. AP. June 16, 2006. Archived from the original on October 13, 2007.
- ^Jackman, Tom (28 May 2017). 'Federal judge tosses life sentences for convicted beltway sniper Lee Boyd Malvo'. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^'D.C. Sniper's first 'intended victim' speaks out'. Archived from the original on 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
- ^Manning, Stephen (26 October 2006). 'Tucson police question DC sniper about golf course murder'. Tucson Citizen. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2015.
- ^Richards, Chris (28 October 2006). 'Police say Malvo confessed to killing Arizona golfer'. USA Today. Tucson, AZ. Archived from the original on 12 October 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
- ^'DC sniper Malvo admitted to killing Tucson man'. Archived from the original on 2018-02-15. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
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- ^Dao, James (2003-10-22). 'Polite but Dogged, Sniper Suspect Offers Defense - The New York Times'. Nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^Kovaleski, Serge F.; Ruane, Michael E. (15 December 2002). 'Before Area Sniper Attacks, Another Deadly Bullet Trail'. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
- ^Klass, Kym (10 November 2009). ''Justice' served: Parker's family to watch D.C. sniper's execution'. Montgomery Advertiser. Gannett. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- ^Hickey, Eric W. Encyclopedia of Murder & Violent Crime. 2003, p. 54.
- ^Library, C.N.N. (26 September 2016). 'DC Area Sniper Fast Facts - CNN.com'. CNN. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^'Husband of La. Victim Knew It Was Sniper'. Fox News. Associated Press. 31 October 2002. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
- ^Roberts, J (2002-11-02). 'Antigua Sniper Connection?'. CBS News. Archived from the original on 2011-02-04. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
- ^Meserve, Jeanne (October 20, 2003). 'Sniper Trial in Virginia Beach, Virginia Opens'. CNN. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2013.
The strongest piece of evidence in this case, the Bushmaster rifle, found with Muhammad and Malvo at the time of their arrest and linked through ballistics testing like this with Meyers' murder and other D.C. sniper slayings. The Chevy Caprice in which they were found had a sniper perch and firing port in the trunk.
- ^ abMacGillis, Alec; Del Quentin Wilber & Jeff Barker (2002-10-04). 'Random shootings target victims in Montgomery during a 16-hour period'. The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ ab'Arbitrary Victims, Identical Fate; County's Growing Diversity Reflected in Those Gunned Down'. The Washington Post. 2002-10-04.
- ^Getter, Lisa; Vicki Kemper & Jonathan Peterson (2002-10-04). '5 Shot Dead in Suburban D.C. as Fear Spreads'. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2008-12-11.
- ^'For Parents and Students, Safety First; Schools Lock Their Doors, and Some Keep Information Scarce in Fighting Fear'. The Washington Post. 2002-10-04.
- ^ abcdeDouglas, John; Burgess, Ann W.; Burgess, Allen G.; Ressler, Robert K. (28 August 2006). Crime Classification Manual: A Standard System for Investigating and Classifying Violent Crimes. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 455–457. ISBN978-0-7879-8642-1. Archived from the original on 20 March 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
- ^'Youngest sniper victim testifies, BBC News'. bbc.co.uk. 2003-10-22. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
- ^Horwitz, sari, & Michael E. Ruane., Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation., Random House, 2003, pg.119
- ^Dishneau, David. 'Woman Questioned in Md. Sniper Hunt'. AP NEWS. Archived from the original on 2019-01-12. Retrieved 2019-01-12.
- ^CORKY SIEMASZKO (October 29, 2002). '2 SNIPER SUSPECTS CHARGED IN VIRGINIA'. New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
- ^Baltimore Sun (4 March 2015). 'Shootings recall images of D.C snipers in 2002. - Baltimore Sun'. baltimoresun.com. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2015.
- ^Moose, Charles; Charles Fleming (15 September 2003). Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper. Penguin Group (USA). p. 370. ISBN978-0-451-21279-5.
- ^ abKantor, Shira (2002-10-04). 'Sniper killings grip Maryland; Police suspect link after 5 slain'. Chicago Tribune.
- ^ abClines, Francis X. (2002-10-05). 'Widening Fears, Few Clues As 6th Death Is Tied to Sniper'. The New York Times.
- ^ abHorwitz, Sari; Ruane, Michael E. (September 28, 2004). Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation. Ballantine Books. p. 120. ISBN978-0345476623.
- ^'Washington Area (Tarot Card) Sniper - serial killer in Washington, Maryland, Virginia area taunts the police'. Altereddimensions.net. Archived from the original on 2009-11-01. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^'Print from Alabama killing matches suspect'. CNN. October 24, 2002. Archived from the original on 2005-05-04.
- ^Hanley, Robert (2002-10-25). 'THE HUNT FOR A SNIPER: THE VEHICLE; F.B.I. Asks Co-owner of Car to Come Forward - The'. New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-11-13. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^Josh White & Robert Barnes (10 November 2009). 'Supreme Court rejects D.C. area sniper's appeal'. Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
- ^Porteus, Liza (2002-10-29). 'Timeline: Tracking the Sniper's Trail - U.S. & World'. FOXNews.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^'Holographic Weapon Sights FAQ'. EOTech. Archived from the original on 2016-11-27. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
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- ^'A BYTE OUT OF HISTORY: The Beltway Snipers, Part 1'. FBI. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 18 December 2016.
- ^Siegel, Andrea F. (4 December 2003). 'Malvo sketches depicted 'jihad''. Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- ^Horwitz, Ruane Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation Random House ISBN0-345-47662-X
- ^'Muhammad told ex-wife, 'I will kill you,' she says'. CNN. 19 November 2003. Archived from the original on 27 November 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- ^'Sniper accused 'wanted to kill wife''. The Scotsman. Edinburgh, Scotland. 1 November 2002. Archived from the original on 10 January 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
- ^Liptak, Adam (April 23, 2005). 'Virginia Justices Set Death Sentence in Washington Sniper Case'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^'Sniper Accomplice Says Mentor Had Extortion and Terror Plan'. The New York Times. May 24, 2006. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^Urbina, Ian (May 31, 2006). 'Washington-Area Sniper Convicted of 6 More Killings'. The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved March 27, 2010.
- ^Michelle Malkin (2001-09-11). 'The Moose is On Fire'. Capitalism Magazine. Archived from the original on 2010-01-30. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^Markon, Jerry (September 17, 2009). 'November Execution Date Set for Muhammad'. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
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- ^Johnson, Kevin (11 November 2009). 'D.C. sniper executed in Virginia'. USA Today. Archived from the original on 13 June 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
- ^Dena Potter (November 11, 2009). 'Silent DC sniper mastermind Muhammad executed'. WTOP news. AP. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009.
- ^Markon, Jerry (17 September 2009). 'Nov. Execution Date Set for D.C. Area Sniper Muhammad'. The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
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- ^'Crime Library: The DC Sniper Beltway Attacks - Crime Museum'. crimemuseum.org. Archived from the original on 2015-08-31. Retrieved 2015-09-10.
- ^Carter, Mike; Miletich, Steve; Mayo, Justin (April 20, 2003). 'Errant Gun Dealer, Wary Agents Paved Way for Beltway Sniper Tragedy'. The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
- ^'Ownership Transfer of Bull's Eye Shooter Supply Approved'. Archived from the original on August 30, 2003.
- ^Manning, Stephen (2004-09-10). 'Families of sniper victims reach settlement'. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2006-02-14. Retrieved 2007-04-18.
- ^Steve Manning (September 8, 2004). 'Family of Sniper Victims Hope Gun Makers Learn Lesson'. wtopnews.com. AP. Archived from the original on October 21, 2004.
- ^Quote taken from an article in the Baltimore Sun, since republished in other Tribune newspapers:
- Calvert, Scott M. (2009-11-15). 'Lawyer sees history, book idea in Muhammad case'. Baltimore Sun Sunday. pp. 1, 10. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- Calvert, Scott M. (2009-11-17). 'Lawyer won trust of D.C. sniper'. Chicago Tribune. p. 22. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^Calvert, Scott M. (2009-11-11). 'D.C.-area sniper executed'. Los Angeles Times. p. A11. Archived from the original on 14 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- ^Potter, Deena. (November 11, 2009) 'Washington sniper John Allen Muhammad executed'Archived 2018-01-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^Higgins, Adrian (March 24, 2005). 'A Garden of Hope and Renewal in a Violent World'. Washington Post. p. H1. Archived from the original on September 4, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017.
- ^'Monster In My Family - S01E04 DC Sniper: John Allen Muhammad'. Lifetime Movies. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017 – via YouTube.
- ^''Monster in My Family': DC Sniper's Ex-Wife and Teen Accomplice Talk'. 2Paragraphs. 2015-07-22. Archived from the original on 2015-07-23. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- ^Trammell, Mark (November 26, 2012). 'The Cleveland Show Season 4 Review 'Turkey Pot Die''. TV Equals. Archived from the original on April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
- ^'FBI 'Crossfire''. IMDB. October 16, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^'Murder Made Me Famous 'DC Sniper''. IMDB. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
- ^Desert Shores, archived from the original on 2017-02-13, retrieved 2019-01-15
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Beltway sniper attacks. |
- 'Serial sniper continues to cause fear in the region'. The Gazette. October 17, 2002. Archived from the original on November 22, 2002.
- Interactive map of the shootings, at the Washington Post
- D.C. Sniper: Ten Years Later, at The Baltimore Sun
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=D.C._sniper_attacks&oldid=897121838'