In October 2002, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo created fear as they went on a series of shootings.
Over three weeks, Muhammad, who was 41, and Malvo, who was 17, shot and killed 10 people and hurt three in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. They were later connected to 11 other shootings that caused five more deaths.
Who were they?
John Allen Muhammad was born in Louisiana on December 31, 1960.
He was married and had children. Muhammad was a combat engineer in the 1991 Gulf War. His ex-wife said that after his military service, his behavior changed, and he likely had PTSD.
Lee Boyd Malvo was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on February 18, 1985. His parents were separated. Malvo’s mother often left him with relatives to work in other countries.
In 2001, Malvo started staying with Muhammad. Malvo said that Muhammad knew how to influence him by giving or denying approval.
What did they do?
On October 2, 2002, Muhammad and Malvo began a three-week shooting spree, killing 10 people.
Their victims were random people at gas stations, parking lots, a post office, and other places.
Each victim was shot once with a rifle. The killers were called the D.C. Snipers. They shot from a hole in the trunk of their car.
Malvo said that Muhammad planned to kill six White people every day for a month.
How were they caught?
Witnesses saw a vehicle, which gave police their first clue.
Police found that Muhammad had bought a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice.
On October 24, 2002, police found Muhammad and Malvo asleep in the car at a rest stop in Maryland.
Evidence linked them to the murders.
What were their sentences?
Muhammad and Malvo were found guilty of murder and weapons charges.
In Maryland, they each received six life sentences. Muhammad was also sentenced to death.
What happened to them?
Muhammad was executed on November 10, 2009. He was 48 years old.
Malvo is serving his life sentence in Virginia. He got married in 2020.
Changes in laws mean Malvo could be eligible for parole after 20 years in prison, but his request was denied in 2022.
In September 2024, a judge delayed a resentencing hearing for Malvo because he wanted to attend in person, but Virginia would not allow him to leave prison. Malvo was moved to a different prison in September 2024.
