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Virginia Tech Shootings5-6-03. Most of the six-and-a-half-hour police interrogation of D.C. sniper suspect Lee Boyd Malvo will be admissible in his upcoming trial according to a ruling by Jane Marum Roush, Fairfax County Circuit Court judge; however, the part conducted before he was read the Miranda rights will not be allowed. According to police, Malvo admitted to involvement in the sniper attacks and confessed to being the triggerman in the shooting death of FBI analyst Linda Franklin.
Sniper Attacks in Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland
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10-25-02. Prosecutors are discussing what charges to put forth in the sniper attack case, after two sniper suspects, John Allen Muhammad and John Lee Malvo were arraigned in Baltimore, Maryland on unrelated charges. Ten people were murdered over a month-long killing spree in the D.C. area; three other people were seriously wounded. On Thursday morning, October 24, two suspects were arrested while sleeping at a rest stop in their car, which is quoted as being a "killing machine," with a sniper's nest in the trunk and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle, that ballistics tests have confirmed were used in eleven of the fourteen shootings. The car, a dark blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, was outfitted with a scope, tripod, "sniper platform," and two holes in the truck for the rifle and the scope. In a press conference before the sniper arrests, Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said to the sniper, "you have indicated that you want us to do and say certain things. You've 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." This references a Cherokee Indian story about an arrogant rabbit that was duped by the duck he tried to catch. John Allen MuhammadGulf War veternan, 41, who aided in his own capture by calling the task force hot line and boasting of a past murder in Montgomery, Alabama. His federal warrant is for firearms violations. His charges include possession of a .223 caliber weapon and harassment of his ex-wife and kids, who he was to stay away from because of a 2000 restraining order. He showed this weapon off to a friend in Tacoma, Washington, were he used to live. He also is alleged to have had an AR-15 assault rifle, gun scope, and book on sound suppressors. |
The U.S. Marshals Service connected Muhammad to the car and license plate because of an October 8 traffic stop in Baltimore that was on file. The rifle he allegedly used in the killings is less popular among game hunters; however, it is high-powered and deadly like the venomous snake it is named after. The semi-automatic version of the civilian model of the M-16, it is "for those who want the general feel of a military weapon," according to Eric Haney, a retired U.S. Army sergeant major. It is a less expensive model of the semi-automatic rifle and easy to use.
Jamaican, 17, illegally in the United States, whose fingerprints match the ones on file from a September 21 fatal liquor store shooting. His court appearance was closed because he is a juvenile. The letter left at the Ponderosa shooting appears to include Jamaican colloquialsms, according to sources, as well as a drawing with five stars that may represent a Jamaican band.
10-21-02 - On the weekend of October 19, a sniper shot another unsuspecting victim in Virginia. Authorities, at this time, do not know if this sniper attack relates to the serial sniper who has been stalking the Washington, D.C. area since the beginning of the month. A message was left for the police at the last crime scene. Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose says, "to the person who left a message at the Ponderosa last night, you gave us a telephone number. We do want to talk to you. Call us at the number you provided."
Saturday's victim was a 37-year old man who was accompanying his wife as the left a Ponderosa steak house restaurant in Ashland, Virginia. He is in critical condition at the Medical College of Viriginia and expected to undergo at least two more surgeries. This shooting, if indeed the work of the serial sniper, will be the first attack to occur on a weekend.
Superintendents in five area school districts closed schools Monday because of parent and community concern.
The police urge anyone with information to call the sniper tip hot line at 888-324-9800. There is a $500,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the sniper shooting attacks. To send tips through the mail, write to P.O. Box 7875, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20898-7875. The reward contribution line is 240-777-9770. The suspected vehicles involved include a white Chevrolet Astro minivan with a ladder rack or a Ford Econoloine or a white box-type truck.
Other recent victims: Linda Franklin, 47; Dean Meyers, 53; and Pascal Charlot, 72. In total, there have been twelve shootings and nine deaths.
10-23-02. Conrad Johson, 35, died on Tuesday from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The bus driver is victim #10 in the tragic list of sniper victims. The Maryland shooting incident has been linked by ballistic evidence.
A note similar to the one found at the Ponderosa Restaurant shooting was found near the crime scene. The individual, believed by authorities to be the sniper, comes across as frustrated and critical of law enforcement's handling of the sniper case. The writer states that he has tried to contact authorities on several occassions to no avail. He asks for money and threatens that children "are not safe anywhere, at any time."
The grammar in the notes are stilted and not of the same handwriting from the Tarot card found earlier at the middle school sniper shooting; however, specific language from both have led authorities to believe they are the same person providing the communications.
(10-9-02) A tarot card and shell casing were found at the scene of the last sniper shooting of a school-age boy. Police chief Charles Moose criticized the media for broadcasting the leak of the discovery, because there are a lot of things that can hurt the investigation. Six people have been murdered and two critically injured. The card, inscribed with "Dear Policeman: I am God," may or may not be related to the crime spree. It was found near the Bowie middle school where the 13-year old was shot on Monday, October 7. The card may have been left by a prankster.
The 13-year old middle school student who was shot Monday after his aunt dropped him off at school remains in critical but stable condition at the Children's National Medical Center.
Forensics evidence links the eight shootings that have happened over the last week. Each victim was hit once by a rifle from a long distance.
(10-3-02) Police believe a high-powered rifle was used to shoot five people in the suburbs of Maryland. The murders appear unrelated. The killer is described as a skilled shooter and the single shots to each victim were from a distance. The tip line number is 240-777-2600. There is a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of people involved. The suspect's vehicle is white, box-type, possibly an Isuzu or Mitsubishi, with black lettering on the side and a damaged rear lift. A profile of the killer has not been developed yet.
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