Posted on 03/05/2006 9:57:56 PM PST by Former Military Chick
Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty against convicted Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad when he goes on trial in May, the Montgomery County state's attorney said Thursday.
Prosecutor Douglas Gansler said late Thursday that "underlying the entire decision was the fact that Muhammad has received a death sentence in Virginia."
Muhammad, 45, was sentenced to death after being convicted in a sniper shooting in Manassas, Va. Lee Boyd Malvo, 20, who also is a defendant in the case, was sentenced to life in prison for a shooting in Falls Church, Va.
Ten people were killed in the Washington area during a three-week shooting spree in October 2002. Of those, six were shot in Montgomery. Authorities also have linked Muhammad and Malvo to shootings in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Washington state.
Gansler filed notice last month with the county's Circuit Court that he would seek life without possibility of parole if Muhammad is convicted of the six Montgomery deaths, the Washington Post reported in a story to be published Friday.
Gansler said Maryland requires prosecutors to show beyond a reasonable doubt that Muhammad was the triggerman to pursue the death penalty. The law also requires proof that two or more people were killed in a single incident. Maryland has only executed five people since the death penalty was restored in the late 1970s.
"Given space and time and distance, the multiple murders would not satisfy legal definition of single incident," Gansler said.
Muhammad was moved to Maryland from Virginia in August, and his trial is set to begin May 1. Malvo was brought to Maryland in May and his trial is set for October. Both men are charged with six counts of first-degree murder in Montgomery County.
Maybe someone can explain the point, I say his victim's in Maryland deserve the same resolution as those in Virginia.
He should be kicking air right now.
Gansler is a panty waist. He was the one who sniveled about how Maryland doesn't execute "children", so Malvo would be safe here. Now its the same with the elder sniper. This is why Ashcroft had them moved to Virginia in the first place.
The snipers killed more people in Montgomery than anywhere else.
Do your job, Gansler.
He's also assuming the conviction/sentence in Va. won't be reversed/modified on appeal. Looks like he doesn't want the expense of a capital prosecution.
SFW?! Dig him up and violate his corpse!
[On a saner note, the Virgina verdict might get overturned.]
Make that a graveyard convenience store clerk in DC wearing a "Mohammed Is Da Bomb" tee-shirt, for good measure.
Like your style and I think he would find punishment swift.
I just think a person should answer for all their crimes. I know it is redundant. Spending repeat money but still there are victim's in another state and deserve the same justice as those in Virginia.
Sounds like Maryland needs to change some laws regarding the death penalty and Gansler should be handling divorce cases.
And I agree that they deserve the closure that the American legal system's pronouncement that John Muhammad is the foul murderer of their loved ones would bring.
I agree: his victims in Maryland are no less worthy of the fullness of justice than those in Virginia.
Weird law. Kill one get life, kill two, scare the DA into thinking he might lose.
Sounds like this guy Gansler is not sure he can get the murder conviction so he's going for the lesser charge. It's Maryland's laws. Oh well. At least they can't set him free with the Va convictions in place. ugh..
Who knows, perhaps a Montgomery County jury will decide he's not guilty.
The justice the victims deserve is a dead murderer. This show trial we are putting on is career advancemen for the state's lawyers, not justice.
Gee Whiz,I'm Truly Sorry That This Isn't SURPRISING News!!!
If this A**HOLE doesn't qualify for"Special Circumstances",WHO DOES?
And just why not?
Why waste money on the trial. Just let the Old Dominion execute him. Spend the money on the younger one, and then Maryland can execute him.
For reference:
The Sniper Archive--
Free Republic | 10-15-02 | The Heavy Equipment Guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/769545/posts?page=9
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