This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.
Life-Without-Parole Sentences For D.C. Sniper Thrown Out By Judge
Lee Boyd Malvo attends court proceedings for fellow sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad in 2003. A federal judge has thrown out two sentences of life without parole that Malvo has been serving in Virginia.
(
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN
/
AP
)
A federal judge has thrown out two life sentences being served by Lee Boyd Malvo, one of two people convicted in the Washington, D.C., sniper killings of 2002.
Judge Raymond Jackson in Norfolk, Va., ruled Friday that because the Supreme Court has found it unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to life without parole, Malvo is entitled to new sentencing hearings.
Malvo was 17 when he was arrested, along with John Allen Muhammad, after a series of mysterious and terrifying shootings in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland that killed 10 people and wounded three.
While the public fearfully watched for what was reported to be a white panel van carrying the 2002 D.C. sniper, John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo conducted their killing spree from a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice with a hole cut into the trunk to shoot through.
(
Chris Gardner
/
AP
)
Malvo said he met Muhammad in Antigua and took to the road with him. In an interview with The Washington Post in 2012 in a Virginia prison, Malvo said Muhammad "picked me because he knew he could mold me. ... He knew I could be what he needed me to be. ... He could not have chosen a better child.
As they traveled, Muhammad and Malvo carried out a series of murders across the country, beginning in Washington state. Investigators later said Muhammad intended to kill his ex-wife, who lived in the Washington area. Muhammad was executed in Virginia in 2009.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
