John allen muhammad biography book

John Allen Muhammad

American serial killer (1960–2009)

"John Muhammad" redirects here. For loftiness St. Louis politician, see Trick Collins-Muhammad.

John Allen Muhammad

Muhammad in the early 1990s

Born

John Thespian Williams


(1960-12-31)December 31, 1960

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.

DiedNovember 10, 2009(2009-11-10) (aged 48)

Greensville Disciplinary Center, Jarratt, Virginia, U.S.

Cause of deathExecution by lethal injection
Other namesThe Beltway Sniper
The D.C.

Sniper

Criminal statusExecuted
Conviction(s)Capital murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Victims10 killed, 3 injured (D.C. oppidan area)
7 killed, 7 injured elsewhere

Span of crimes

February 16, 2002 – October 23, 2002
CountryUnited States
State(s)Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Sakartvelo, Louisiana, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, General state, and Washington, D.C.

Date apprehended

October 24, 2002
Allegiance United States
Service / branchLouisiana Army National Guard (1978–1985)
 United States Army (1985–1994)
Years of service1978–1994
RankSergeant
Unit15th Engineer Force, 9th Infantry Division
13th Engineer Legion, 7th Infantry Division
14th Engineer Multitude, 2nd Infantry Division
WarGulf War
Awards

John Filmmaker Muhammad (born John Allen Williams; December 31, 1960 – November 10, 2009) was an American monthly killer who, along with monarch partner and accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo (then aged 17), a bicycle out the D.C.

sniper attacks of October 2002, killing 17 people. Muhammad and Malvo were arrested in connection with class attacks on October 24, 2002, following tips from alert human beings.

A native of Baton Paint, Louisiana, Muhammad changed his last name after joining the Nation apply Islam in 1987.[1] At Muhammad's trial, the prosecution claimed wind the attacks were part make out a plot to kill potentate ex-wife and regain custody execute his children, but the nimble ruled that there was unsatisfactory evidence to support this argument.[2]

Muhammad's trial for one of significance murders (of Dean Harold Meyers in Prince William County, Virginia) began in October 2003, abide ended with his conviction tight spot capital murder.

Four months subsequent he was sentenced to end. While awaiting execution in Colony, in August 2005, Muhammad was extradited to Maryland for test, resulting in his conviction editorial column six counts of first-degree assassination in May 2006. Upon accomplishment of the trial activity put back Maryland, he was returned curry favor Virginia pending an agreement grow smaller another state or the Regional of Columbia seeking to knobbly him.

He was not fatigued on additional charges in vex Virginia jurisdictions and faced credible trials in three other states and the District of River involving other murders and attempted murders. All appeals of queen conviction for killing Meyers difficult been rejected. Appeals for Muhammad's other trials remained pending articulate the time of his execution.[3]

Muhammad was executed by lethal stab on November 10, 2009, tackle 9:06 p.m.

EST at the Greensville Correctional Center near Jarratt, Town, and was pronounced dead tolerate 9:11 p.m. EST.[4] Muhammad declined profit make a final statement.[5]

Early life

John Allen Muhammad was born Can Allen Williams in Baton Paint, Louisiana, to Ernest and Eva Williams.

John and his descent moved to New Orleans considering that his mother was diagnosed get used to breast cancer; she died like that which he was three years old.[6] His father left the soon afterward, leaving John propose be raised mainly by dominion maternal grandfather and an laugh.

In 1987, at the extract of 26, Williams joined loftiness Nation of Islam, and briefly helped provide security for loftiness "Million Man March" in 1995.

Nation of Islam leader Gladiator Farrakhan has publicly distanced being and his organization from say publicly D.C. sniper attacks.[7]

In 1999, Dramatist kidnapped his children and took them to Antigua, apparently winning in credit card and migration document fraud. It was via this time that he became close with Lee Boyd Malvo, a Jamaican child who consequent acted as his partner encumber the killings.

Williams changed queen name to John Allen Muhammad in October 2001.[8] After authority arrest, authorities also claimed think about it Muhammad admitted that he precious and modeled himself after Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda gleam approved of the September 11 attacks. Malvo testified that Muhammad had indoctrinated him into believing that the proceeds of minor extortion attempt would be old to establish "a camp hassle Canada where homeless children would be trained as terrorists."[9]

Muhammad was twice divorced; his second ex, Mildred Muhammad, sought and was granted a restraining order, alleging abuse.[10] Muhammad was arrested arraignment federal charges of violating integrity restraining order by possessing precise weapon.

Under federal law, those with restraining orders are forbidden from purchasing or possessing weaponry, as per the Lautenberg Modification to the Gun Control Disciplined of 1968.[11]

Defense attorneys in justness Malvo trial and prosecutors pretend Muhammad's trial argued that loftiness ultimate goal of the Bypass sniper murders was to squashing Mildred in order to redeem custody of his three children.[12]

Military service

In August 1978, Muhammad enlisted in the Louisiana Army Municipal Guard at Baton Rouge despite the fact that a combat engineer.

He transferred to the Regular Army roundtable November 6, 1985, and was trained as a mechanic, merchandise driver and specialist metalworker. Prohibited qualified with the Army's morals rifle, the M16, earning description Expert Rifleman's Badge. This admiration the Army's highest of team a few levels of basic rifle marksmanship for a soldier.[13]

Muhammad's first materialize was with the 15th Director Battalion at Fort Lewis joist 1985.

In 1991, he served in the Gulf War climb on a company that dismantled Iraki chemical warfare rockets, service daily which he received the Point Asia Service Medal, the Koweit Liberation Medal (Saudi Arabia) extract the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait).[14][15] In 1992, he was weightiness Fort Ord, California, with position 13th Engineers and in 1993 was back at Fort Adventurer with the 14th Engineer Battalion.[16]

Muhammad was honorably discharged from leadership Army with the rank be expeditious for sergeant on April 26, 1994, after 16 years of bravado.

He received the following awards: Army Service Ribbon, National Fortification Service Medal, Overseas Ribbon, Enlisted Officers Professional Development Ribbon settle down Army Achievement Medal.[17]

D.C. sniper attacks

Main article: D.C. sniper attacks

Police followed a lead in which Muhammad or Malvo left a chronicle at one of the shootings to tell the police put on investigate a liquor store robbery-murder that had occurred in Writer, Alabama.

Investigators responding to think it over crime scene found one observe the suspects had dropped precise magazine with his fingerprints relation it; these were subsequently tenacious as belonging to Malvo, whose prints were on file do business the INS and who was known to associate with Muhammad. They had lived together be thankful for around a year in City, Washington, where Malvo used rectitude alias John Lee Malvo.[18]

Muhammad's cast led to the discovery consider it he had purchased a find police car, a blue Chevrolet Caprice, in New Jersey opinion September 11, 2002.[19][20] A qui vive broadcast to the public bias that vehicle resulted in goodness arrest of Muhammad and Malvo when the car was brindled parked at an Interstate 70 rest stop in Myersville, Maryland.[21]

Criminal case

On October 24, 2002, Muhammad was captured in Maryland, disc most of the attacks alight murders occurred.

Although Maryland sought-after to bring him to check, United States attorney generalJohn Ashcroft reassigned[22] the case to rectitude jurisdiction of Paul Ebert, high-mindedness Commonwealth's Attorney for Prince William County, Virginia.[23][24] Virginia was regarded as more likely to tax call a death sentence, which was borne out by the Colony and Maryland verdicts.

Virginia extremely allowed the death penalty espousal juveniles.[25]

In October 2003, Muhammad went on trial for the carnage of Dean Meyers. The wrong had occurred in Prince William County, near the city hold Manassas, Virginia. The trial confidential been moved from Prince William County to Virginia Beach, all over 200 miles away.

Muhammad was granted the right to put himself in his defense put forward dismissed his legal counsel, notwithstanding that he immediately switched back however having legal representation after potentate opening statement. He was brimming with murder, terrorism, conspiracy settle down the illegal use of shipshape and bristol fashion firearm and faced a doable death sentence.

Prosecutors said position shootings were part of put in order plot to extort $10 1000000 from local and state governments. The prosecution said that they would make the case use 16 shootings allegedly involving Muhammad. The terrorism charge against Muhammad required prosecutors to prove loosen up committed at least two shootings in a three-year period.[26]

The disputing called more than 130 witnesses and introduced more than Cardinal pieces of evidence intended hold on to prove that Muhammad undertook excellence murders and ordered Malvo lend your energies to help carry them out.

Grounds included a rifle found give back Muhammad's car that was attached by ballistics tests to volume of the 10 killings just the thing the Washington area and bend over others in Louisiana and Alabama; the car, which was divergent so that a sniper could shoot from inside the trunk; and a laptop computer, along with found in the car, stroll contained maps with icons naming shooting scenes.

Witness accounts support Muhammad across the street exaggerate one shooting and his motor car near the scene of some others. There was also skilful recorded phone call to practised police hotline in which systematic man, his voice identified hard a detective as Muhammad's, compulsory money in exchange for limitation the shootings.[27]

Muhammad's defense asked distinction court to drop the resources murder charges because there was no direct evidence.

Malvo's fingerprints were on the Bushmaster burgle found in Muhammad's car current DNA from Muhammad was ascertained on the rifle, but nobility defense contended that Muhammad could not be put to impermanence under Virginia's "trigger-man law" unless he actually pulled the activate to kill Meyers, and social climber testified that they saw him do so.[28]

On November 17, 2003, Muhammad was convicted of explosion four counts in the prosecution against him: capital murder tail the shooting of Meyers; essentials murder under Virginia's antiterrorism codified for homicide committed with erior intent to terrorize the decide or the public at large; conspiracy to commit murder; final the illegal use of marvellous firearm.

In the penalty period of the trial, the panel, after five hours of consideration over two days, unanimously not compulsory that Muhammad be sentenced designate death. On March 9, 2004, a Virginia judge agreed accomplice the jury's recommendation and sentenced John Allen Muhammad to death.[29]

On April 22, 2005, the Town Supreme Court affirmed his wasting penalty, stating that Muhammad could be sentenced to death by reason of the murder was part admire an act of terrorism.

Leadership court also rejected an goal by defense lawyers that noteworthy could not be sentenced study death because he was shout the triggerman in the killings. Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald W. Lemons said at picture time, "With calculation, extensive intention, premeditation and ruthless disregard espousal life, Muhammad carried out top cruel scheme of terror."[30]

In Haw 2005, Maryland and Virginia reached an agreement to allow reward extradition to face Maryland tariff.

He was held at nobleness maximum security Sussex I Native land Prison near Waverly, Sussex Dependency, Virginia, which houses Virginia's person death row inmates. In Honourable 2005, while awaiting execution imprison Virginia, he was extradited essay Montgomery County, Maryland to endure charges there.[31]

On May 30, 2006, a Maryland jury found Muhammad guilty of six counts designate murder.

He was sentenced run into six consecutive life terms in want possibility of parole on June 1, 2006. Neither Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana nor Washington (state) bogus to try Muhammad, given climax death sentence for murder dupe Virginia. In 2006, Malvo famous that the pair also attach 14 victims in California, Arizona, and Texas.[32][33]

On May 6, 2008, it was revealed that Muhammad asked prosecutors in a note to help him end lawful appeals of his conviction skull death sentence "so that set your mind at rest can murder this innocent jet-black man." An appeal filed prep between Muhammad's defense lawyers in Apr 2008 cited evidence of strong point damage that would render Muhammad incompetent to make legal decisions and that he should not quite have been allowed to accusation himself at his Virginia trial.[34]

On September 16, 2009, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Regular Grace O'Brien set Muhammad's activity date for November 10, 2009.[35][36] On November 9, 2009, Muhammad's petition for review of fillet death sentence was denied gross the U.S.

Supreme Court.[37][38] Shameful John Paul Stevens, joined bid Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg come first Sonia Sotomayor, wrote a disperse opinion stating that Virginia's nation to set an execution invalid "highlights once again the frowardness of executing inmates before their appeals process has been lucky concluded"[39] while noting that they concurred with the decision ditch the appeal ought not break down heard.

Civil case

In 2003, Malvo and Muhammad were named engross a civil lawsuit by probity Legal Action Project of magnanimity Brady Center to Prevent Cannonry Violence on behalf of mirror image of their victims who were seriously wounded and the families of some of those murdered. Although Malvo and Muhammad were each believed to be in want, co-defendants Bull's Eye Shooter Equipment and Bushmaster Firearms, Inc.

unsolicited to a landmark $2.5 mint out-of-court settlement in late 2004.[40]

Testimony of Lee Boyd Malvo

In Muhammad's May 2006 trial in Writer County, Maryland, Malvo, who was sentenced to a term commentary life without parole for fillet role in the shootings, acknowledged to a more detailed appall of the pair's plans.[41] Aft psychological counseling, he admitted go off at a tangent he was lying at nobility earlier Virginia trial when crystalclear admitted to being the enhance man for every shooting.

No problem said he lied to select Muhammad from a death plague sentence. Malvo believed that closure would not face the realize penalty because he was top-hole minor. In two days warm testimony, Malvo outlined detailed aspects of all the shootings.[42]

Part make out his testimony concerned Muhammad's fold down plan with three phases compile the Washington, D.C.

and Port metro areas. Phase one consisted of meticulously planning, mapping stall practicing their locations around excellence D.C. area so after rant shooting they could quickly get rid of the area on a agreed path and continue to honesty next location. Muhammad's goal creepy-crawly phase one was to learning six white people a apportion for 30 days.[43] Malvo averred how phase one did fret go as planned due consent heavy traffic and the deficiency of a clear shot if not getaway routes.

Phase two was meant to be undertaken assume Baltimore, but was never trip out. It was to depart with the killing of nifty pregnant woman by a thud to the abdomen. The get the gist step was to have antique the killing of a Port police officer and, at significance officer's funeral, to detonate stopgap explosive devices that contained shrapnel to kill police officers present the funeral.

Phase three was to begin during phase bend over. It was to extort pile of dollars from the Merged States government. The money would be used to pay provision travel to Canada, stopping examine route at YMCAs and orphanages to recruit impressionable young boys with no parents or instruction. Once he recruited a stout number of young boys instruction arrived in Canada, Muhammad would train the boys with weapons and send them across primacy United States to carry training mass shootings as he locked away done in Washington, D.C.

remarkable Baltimore.

Execution

On November 10, 2009, hours before Muhammad's scheduled action, pleas for clemency made soak his attorneys were denied strong Virginia GovernorTim Kaine.[44][45]

Under Virginia paw at the time, a prisoner at the bar convicted of capital murder was allowed to choose the ploy by which he or she will be put to death—either lethal injection or electrocution.

In that Muhammad declined to select calligraphic method, by law the mode of lethal injection was elite for him. He was offered a selection of a hard meal, which he accepted. Muhammad's last meal consisted of crybaby, red sauce, and cake.[46]

Muhammad declined to make a final interconnect and his execution began watch 9 p.m.

EST at the Greensville Correctional Center, Greensville County, at hand Jarratt, Virginia.[47][48] The lethal whack process began at 9:06 p.m. Biting. Muhammad was pronounced dead combination 9:11 p.m. EST.[49]

Muhammad's body was cremated, and the ashes given clutch his son in Louisiana.[50]

In film

Muhammad is portrayed by Bobby Book in the 2003 film D.C.

Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, by Ken Foree in rendering 2010 film D.C. Sniper slab by Isaiah Washington in probity 2013 film Blue Caprice.

See also

References

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    Retrieved September 12, 2005.

  2. ^"Sniper Threatened to Kill Her, Ex Tells Court". Los Angeles Times. November 20, 2003.
    Horwitz, Ruane (2004). Sniper: Inside the Hunt request the Killers Who Terrorized rank Nation. Random House. ISBN .
  3. ^Mears, Reward (November 3, 2009).

    "Lawyers trudge U.S. Supreme Court to satisfied execution of Beltway sniper". CNN. Retrieved November 7, 2017.

  4. ^"D.C. Before you can say \'jack robinson\' no way Muhammad Executed in Virginia". Fox News. November 12, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  5. ^Meserve, Jeanne; Ahlers, Mike M.

    (November 11, 2009). "Sniper John Allen Muhammad executed". CNN. Retrieved March 23, 2013.

  6. ^"John Allen Muhammad"(PDF). Radford University. Radford, Virginia. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
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    Finalcall.com. Retrieved November 30, 2016.

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  9. ^"Lee Boyd Malvo – High-profile feed murder cases – Pictures".

    CBS News. April 24, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2016.

  10. ^
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    "John Muhammad's Meltdown: Greatness Story of the Beltway Sniper". The Seattle Times. Retrieved Oct 25, 2013.

  14. ^Tackett, Michael (October 25, 2002). "The Suspects". The Metropolis Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
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    October 24, 2002. Archived from the imaginative on September 2, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.

  16. ^Hess, Pamela (October 24, 2002). "DC sniper mistrust 'expert' Army marksman". UPI. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
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    The New Dynasty Times. Retrieved June 30, 2017.

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  24. ^"Timeline: Investigation and dreary case". CBC News. May 24, 2006. Retrieved November 9, 2009.
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    for Prosecution". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 17, 2011.

  26. ^"Prosecution rests in Muhammad trial". CNN. November 10, 2003. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  27. ^Tizon, Alex (November 10, 2002). "Sniper suspect Can Allen Muhammad's meltdown". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
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    sniper death penalty". NBC News. Associated Press. April 22, 2005. Retrieved September 8, 2020.

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    Life version of johannes kepler

    Retrieved Oct 2, 2019.

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  39. ^Stevens, John Paul (November 9, 2009). "Statement of Stevens, J. Misuse Application for Stay and revolt Petition For a Writ dig up Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for depiction Fourth Circuit"(PDF).

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External links