Sniper - John Allen Muhammad - found guilty.

[Shainie]

[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

Muhammad guilty of murder in sniper slaying
Jury has death penalty as sentencing option
Monday, November 17, 2003 Posted: 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT)

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (CNN) -- A jury found sniper shootings suspect John Allen Muhammad guilty of capital murder and three other charges related to last year's sniper shooting spree.

The seven-woman, five-man jury also found Muhammad guilty of committing a murder in an act of terrorism, conspiracy and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The jury announced its verdict at 11:55 a.m. EST, after six hours of deliberations.

The capital murder and terrorism charges carry the death penalty as a possible sentence. The penalty phase will begin at 2:30 p.m. EST.

The terrorism conviction is under a Virginia state law passed after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The terrorism charge required the prosecution to show that he was responsible for a murder aimed at intimidating the public or influencing the government.

The capital murder charge required prosecutors to show that he was responsible for at least two murders in a three-year period.

CNN Correspondent Jeanne Meserve reported that Muhammad showed no emotion as the verdict was read.

Muhammad's defense attorneys had argued there was no evidence he was responsible for the sniper shootings, and that alleged accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo appeared to be the triggerman. But the prosecution argued that Muhammad was the "immediate perpetrator," even if not the triggerman.

The verdict came six weeks after the trial began, and on the day that testimony began in the Malvo trial.

The trial began with jury selection on October 13 with Muhammad, 42, announcing he would represent himself. Later that first week Muhammad switched course and told the judge he would return to his attorneys for representation.

Prosecutors presented testimony from 136 different witnesses and more than 400 pieces of evidence over 14 days. Testimony included witnesses and family members of victims from last year's shooting spree recounting the shootings that terrorized the suburbs of the nation's capital.

Some of the witnesses -- notably crime scene analysts and medical examiners -- made numerous appearances.

Muhammad's attorneys presented five witnesses and gave evidence that lasted less than three hours.

Earlier Monday, prosecutors said that during his confinement earlier this year Muhammad attempted to escape.

The assertion came in arguments before the judge involving what evidence may be used in the sentencing phase if Muhammad is convicted.

Although prosecutors did not say in court when Muhammad attempted to escape, a government source told CNN the incident took place on March 23. But the defense called the allegation an unfounded rumor.

Prosecutor James Willett said Muhammad was put in solitary confinement after his alleged escape attempt.

Defense attorney Jonathan Shapiro argued that word of the escape attempt was only a rumor. But Willett said the commonwealth has evidence.

Willett did not say at what point Muhammad tried to escape.

Muhammad was charged in the October 9, 2002, slaying of Dean Harold Meyers outside a Manassas gas station.

Muhammad and Malvo are accused of being behind the October 2002 sniper slayings that killed 10 people and wounded three in the Washington, D.C., area. They are also charged in sniper shootings in several other states.

Muhammad and Malvo are the first suspects to be charged under Virginia's terrorism law.

[ShainaT]

Good!

All this crap happened right after I had the baby last year. Living in this area (Montgomery County where many of the shootings took place) was quite scary.

I hope they both get the death penalty.

[hmsram]

I was so happy to hear this, this morning.
I to hope they get the death penalty.
You just can not go around killing other people and not have to pay for your wrongdoing...

[3tbear]

He deserves the sentence he gets. Hey, he took innocent lives. I have no pity for this man.

[ghostie79]

I hope he gets death, too. He seems like just the person, especially if it is proven that he brainwashed Malvo, that would round up a bunch of prisoners, kill off guards and escape. I was thinking that even before I read about his escape attempt.

[becksisgoodbeer]

I kinda hope he does not get the death penalty.... I hope they put him in general population...... They will take him out a little less humanly than the court can do

[Shainie]

How about . . . drop him by helicopter into the middle of a dense forest with nothing but the clothes on his back, and have him hunted? Maybe with bow and arrows - or small caliper handguns. Something that won't kill him immediately.

Give him a taste of how he terrorized an entire community.

Politically correct thinking? Nope. But beasts like this don't deserve anything "correct".

[hmsram]

Great idea Shainie and the victims families could be the hunters....

[becksisgoodbeer]

I hate the idea of hunting real animals.... I just can't kill anything without a tremendous amount of sorrow and grief; however, sign me up for the John Allen Muhammad Hunt!