RSS
Home
The execution of John Allen Muhammad
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
There is no way convicted DC area sniper John Allen Muhammad will get out of being put to death -- not in this country -- not in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As heinous as Muhammad’s crimes were, the fact remains he was tried and convicted in the Old Dominion first. For that reason he has but days remaining on this Earth. 
John Allen Muhammad and his teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo went on a killing spree in October 2002. Those days represented true fear because of what the sniper shootings truly represented: terrorism. Barely a year had gone by since the September 11th attacks and the Washington region was once again gripped by fear. People were being picked off one by one. In the end, ten people lay dead. They were simply going about their lives, pumping gas, walking across the parking lot, mowing the lawn, driving the bus. People actually had it in the backs of their minds that any day might require a change of routine, anything to avoid being gunned down in the open field. The sniper shootings were truly heinous, but the only reason why John Allen Muhammad will be executed later this fall is because prosecutors in Virginia were able to get to him first.
Say what you want to say about the death penalty, but the United States remains among the leaders of the pack. It’s really interesting to think about sometimes how much we have in common with countries like China and Saudi Arabia. The idea that killing someone as punishment for the killing of someone else is still acceptable behavior in countries like the United States, Saudi Arabia and China. While there is considerable movement to abolish the practice worldwide, executions are by many still seen as the one true justice, something that has stood the test of time. In this country, the states of Virginia and Texas remain the champions of state-sanctioned death. The Old Dominion and the Lone Star State are the beacons, if you will, of executions. But when Muhammad and Malvo were finally caught in their custom-made death car, and in Maryland no less, it was actually prosecutors in Virginia who were allowed by the courts to have the first crack. Maryland has not carried out an execution in years, nor has the District of Columbia. There were many prosecutors heading up the different shooting investigations in their respective jurisdictions. But out of them all, Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert stood out. Ebert, one of the oldest prosecutors in Virginia, has had more death penalty convictions than any prosecutor in state history. He’s from the old school -- southern and charming, folksy yet savvy, and relentless.
The Manassas shooting of Dean Meyers gave Ebert direct jurisdiction. Another tough Virginia attorney, Robert Horan, was given first rights to prosecute Lee Boyd Malvo. There were other shootings in the Fredericksburg area. I’ll never forget the day I was sent to cover one of the shootings. Muhammad and Malvo had stayed overnight at a motel just off I-95 outside of Fredericksburg. When morning came, a man was pumping gas at an Exxon across the street from the motel when a fatal shot rang out. By the time police and the media arrived, Muhammad and Malvo were long gone in their Chevrolet. By the time I arrived, it was a media circus. It was the first time I had encountered the big networks feeding from the scene. Fox News was there. CNN was there. Geraldo Rivera was there, and even created a bit of controversy when he was seen signing autographs after the shooting at a local Hooter’s. That day will forever leave a bad taste in my mouth about this industry.
This week, I interviewed Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert, among the most respected in the state. “To the victims in this case, I think they’re looking forward to the day that he is executed. It’ll give them some solace, some closure.” Since 2003, Muhammad has sat on death row because of Ebert and his team. Recently, prosecutors put in a request to have the sentence finally carried out, and this week, Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Mary Grace O’Brien decided on a November 10 date to put Muhammad to death. Muhammad will likely appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. All other courts have rejected his pleas thus far. He could also request clemency from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine. Kaine has said in the past he is against capital punishment, but being the governor of Virginia, Kaine has said he would continue to follow the rule of law in the state. While some cases have been reviewed under Kaine’s term, executions continue. “There could be a stay. I don’t know what his defense will do. We’ll just have to wait and see,” said Ebert.
For many in the Washington area, especially for the victims and families of victims, the execution of John Allen Muhammad will indeed mean closure. I asked Commonwealth’s Attorney Ebert what it meant to him and his staff to be the ones to deliver that closure. “To me, I take no pleasure in obtaining the death penalty. But there are cases like this, in my judgment, where the death penalty is the appropriate punishment,” he said. I think a lot of people in the Washington area would still agree with that. Ebert added, “I’ve already had contact with a number of victims who are wanting to attend the execution.”
Related Articles:
Comments
