JARRATT, Virginia — John Allen Muhammad, the mastermind of the sniper attacks that terrorized the U.S. capital region for three weeks in October 2002, was executed Tuesday.
Muhammad died by injection at 9:11 p.m. (0211 GMT Wednesday) at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, prison spokesman Larry Traylor said.
He said Muhammad had no final statement and that Traylor didn’t hear him utter any words during the execution.
Muhammad was executed for killing Dean Harold Meyers, who was shot in the head at a Manassas gas station during a spree that left 10 dead across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
The shootings terrorized the region, as victim after victim was shot down while doing everyday chores: going shopping, pumping gas, mowing the lawn. One child was shot while walking into his middle school.
“We extend our condolences not only to the families and loved ones of the victims, but also to the family and loved ones of John Allen Muhammad,” said J. Wyndal Gordon, one of Muhammad’s attorneys. “It’s just a tragic situation all around.”
Earlier, Gordon had described Muhammad as fearless and insisted he was innocent.
“He is absolutely unafraid and he will die with dignity — dignity to the point of defiance,” Gordon said.
People stayed indoors. Those who did go outside weaved as they walked or bobbed their heads to make themselves a less easy target.
The reign of terror ended on Oct. 24, 2002, when police captured Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, as they slept at a Maryland rest stop in a car they had outfitted for a shooter to perch in its trunk without being detected.
Muhammad and Malvo also were suspected of fatal shootings in other states, including Louisiana, Alabama and Arizona. Malvo was sentenced to life in prison.
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down Muhammad’s final appeal Monday and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine denied clemency Tuesday.
Cheryll Witz was one of several victims’ family members who traveled to Virginia to watch the execution. Malvo confessed that he shot her father, Jerry Taylor, on a Tucson, Ariz., golf course in March 2002 at Muhammad’s direction.
“He basically watched my dad breathe his last breath,” she said. “Why shouldn’t I watch his last breath?”
Muhammad met with family members in the hours before his execution but did not have a spiritual adviser, Traylor said.
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[3:00 p.m. – 11/10/09] – Va. Gov. Denies Clemency; D.C. Sniper Execution Will Proceed
RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Tim Kaine denied clemency Tuesday for sniper John Allen Muhammad, clearing the way for him to be executed for the attacks that terrorized the nation’s capital region for three weeks in 2002.
Muhammad is set to die by injection Tuesday night at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. His attorneys had asked Kaine to commute his sentence to life in prison because they say he is mentally ill. The U.S. Supreme Court turned down his final appeal.
“I find no compelling reason to set aside the sentence that was recommended by the jury and then imposed and affirmed by the courts,” Kaine, who is known for carefully considering death penalty cases, said in a statement. “Accordingly, I decline to intervene.”
Muhammad was sentenced to death for killing Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas gas station during a three-week spree that left 10 dead across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
He and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, also were suspected of fatal shootings in other states, including Louisiana, Alabama and Arizona.
Muhammad was offered a choice for his last meal, which he accepted and requested that details not be released to the public, NBC News reported.
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[8:45 a.m. – 11/10/09] – Supreme Court Rejects D.C. Sniper’s Appeal; Execution Will Proceed
RICHMOND, Virginia — Unless Virginia’s governor steps in, sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad will be executed Tuesday for attacks that terrorized the U.S. capital region for three weeks in 2002.
Muhammad was sentenced to death for killing Dean Harold Meyers at a Manassas, Virginia, gas station during a spree that left 10 dead across Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Muhammad is set to die by injection at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. His attorneys have asked Kaine to commute his sentence to life in prison because they say he is mentally ill. The U.S. Supreme Court turned down Muhammad’s final appeal Monday.
RELATED: D.C. Sniper’s Ex-Wife Shares Her Story
He and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, also were suspected of fatal shootings in other states, including Louisiana, Alabama and Arizona.
For the families of those killed, the day is a long time coming.
Cheryll Witz is one of several victims’ relatives who were going to watch the execution. Malvo confessed that, at Muhammad’s direction, he shot her father, Jerry Taylor, on a Tucson, Arizona, golf course in March 2002.
“He basically watched my dad breathe his last breath,” she said. “Why shouldn’t I watch his last breath?”
RELATED: D.C. Sniper’s Execution Set For November
The shootings terrorized the Washington region, with victims gunned down while doing everyday chores like shopping or pumping gas. People stayed indoors. Those who had to go outside weaved as they walked or bobbed their heads to make themselves less of a target.
The terror ended on Oct. 24, 2002, when police captured Muhammad and Malvo as they slept at a Maryland rest stop in a car they had outfitted so a shooter could hide in the trunk and fire through a hole in the body of the vehicle. Malvo is serving a life sentence in Virginia.
Death penalty opponents planned vigils across the state, and some were headed for Jarratt, about an hour south of Richmond, for the execution.
Beth Panilaitis, executive director of Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said those who planned to protest understand the fear that gripped the community, and the nation, during the attacks.
“The greater metro area and the citizens of Virginia have been safe from this crime for seven years,” Panilaitis said. “Incarceration has worked and life without the possibility of parole has and will continue to keep the people of Virginia safe.”
