CNN Breaking: Sniper Muhammad sentenced to death

[wicket]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/09/sniper/index.html

A Virginia judge Tuesday sentenced John Allen Muhammad to death for killing Dean Harold Meyers -- one of 10 people shot to death during the October 2002 sniper shootings.

Most of the sniper victims were gunned down in the Maryland and Virginia areas around the nation's capital.

Meyers, 53, was shot and killed October 9, 2002, while he was pumping gas at a Sunoco station in Manassas. It was one of 13 shootings that terrorized the region during a three-week span.

Muhammad's accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, 19, was convicted in a separate trial of another sniper shooting. A jury sentenced him to life without parole. His formal sentencing is set for Wednesday.

In November, a jury convicted Muhammad and recommended he be sentenced to death.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

1. as a resident of aspen hill, md

i say this is a good thing.

[cheezus]

3. yeah, now he won't be able to snipe anyone

like we would have been able to do from prison.

oh, wait.

[On the Road]

6. My Daughter's Right Near You, GCG

She lives in Longmeade Crossing and goes to Barrie School. Four of the shootings were within a ten-minute drive. The last one was literally a walk through the woods away from her school. It was a very scary time.

I am not enthusiastic about the death penalty, but I'm glad Malvo and Muhammed have been caught and convicted.

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

9. it was scary

the streets were deserted at night. everyone looking over their shoulders. when i did venture out i always kept moving.

these guys were hunting people. i have no sympathy for them.

[Rainbowreflect]

2. I cannot say I'm surprised.

How does killing people who kill people show killing people is wrong?

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

5. It doesn't

It will, however, be difficult for this guy to shoot people pumping gas while his decayed corpse is being feasted upon by maggots.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

40. so would being in prison

the next argument says - we don't have to pay for him to be in a cell that could be used for another criminal. This never ends.

[Just Me]

58. Since none of us know what "death" is,...I am with you,...

,...and I would rather be guilty of wanting such evil to suffer in a prison for the rest of his/her life,...than to pretend to be THE authority on life and death.

[demdave]

45. How does arresting and jailing kidnappers show that kidnapping is wrong?

Things are slightly more detailed and important than a cute phrase on a bumper sticker.

[private_ryan]

54. killing for no reason (other than joy) is not the same

I hope we can agree on that, regardless of where we stand in the death penalty debate.

[MacCovern]

4. GOOD! Great news

This is certainly a case well deserving of the death penalty.
In fact, I would gladly pull the switch to activate the electric
chair myself to rid the world of this guy.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sandpiper]

7. For some reason

I just can't seem to muster any indignation at the thought of the execution of a remorseless multiple murderer.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

21. by indignation do you mean sympathy?

your post made little sense

[Sandpiper]

26. Ok, I'll clarify

I feel zero sympathy for John Allen Muhammad. And if you think that makes me your moral inferior, that's your problem chief, not mine.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

31. I don't feel anyone's my moral inferior

I just can't understand people who feel that the death penalty has any merit period. Feel what you want to feel. I don't give a fuck. But I will react when I care about something

[Sandpiper]

34. All of your posts are dripping with the condescension

Of one who just can't understand how the rest of us benighted souls do not share your enlightened position on the matter. Thank you for your permission to feel what I want to feel. But when you start hurling snide comments to those who don't share your views, then expect them to be received with scorn. You started the attacks and now you pretend that you're on the defensive.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

38. No I don't

You can attack me all you wan't, if you want to. You seem to be the one who is insecure of your moral position. I don't know you and I'm typing at words written on a screen. I don't feel morally superior to anyone. I do feel that an anti-death penalty stance is more moral than a pro-death penalty stance. You're going to react to that anyway you want - knock yourself out. I'll leave this post for people to crowd around and say good riddance. This isn't inteligent discusion this is bantering.

[RandomKoolzip]

41. JB, I'd let you borrow my flame-retardant suit.....

but it's being dry cleaned in the lounge.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

42. woo -t hese pro-death penalty folks sure like their criminals dead

I'm outa here

[Muddleoftheroad]

48. Yes

Because that way they can't kill again. They can't kill guards, staff, visitors or other prisoners. And they can't escape.

[Sandpiper]

50. Buh Bye

:hi:

[bluestateguy]

8. Boo Hoo!

I'm sure there will be somebody out there saying that HE is the real victim of all this and that he just needs a few more hugs and love and understanding.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. I don't think you'll hear of them from anyone.

Just because people don't believe in the death penalty doesn't mean they don't believe in punishment.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

15. Amen, I'm against killing anyone - period. End of story

He doesn't have to be killed

[bluestateguy]

47. How many executed criminals commit more crimes?

I hear the recidivism rate is very low.

[Blue_Roses]

61. and I'm sure the families who lost

a loved one by him and his gun say the say thing, "they didn't have to be killed."

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[Mike Daniels]

11. Good riddance.

I'm opposed to the death penalty on general principle but if we're going to have it I'd rather see it limited to cases like this where there's no doubt of guilt, no remorse on the part of the perp, and no chance of rehabilitation.

This jerk robbed way too many families of loved ones for me to be conflicted over his punishment.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

16. Then you do believe in the Death Penalty

quit fooling yourself and trying to fool others

[Mike Daniels]

28. Whatever you say dude

The world is better off without the John Muhammeds taking up space in prison that could be used by other criminals who stand a chance of being rehabilitated.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

29. you think so?

That's just brilliant.

[Sandpiper]

32. Since you don't think so

Please explain why the world is a better place with John Allen Muhammed in it.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

35. The world will spin whether he's alive or dead

Everyone is safer that he's off the streets. You're not hearing what I'm saying - I feel that killing is wrong - period. I feel this strongly. It's you're prerogative to feel otherwise.

[Sandpiper]

37. Nice deflection

n/t

[Fenris]

12. One would expect as much

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

13. An eye for an eye -what a great country

more death more death more death - it should be our national anthem. This makes me sick!

[bluestateguy]

17. Actually, it's about one eye for about ten

You can spend your time weeping for John Mohammed, but I have more important things to do.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

18. whatever

I don't weep - I think he deserves pnishment - not death. You can mock me all you want

[Sandpiper]

20. What makes me sick

is people getting all mealy mouthed and weak at the knees over the John Allen Muhammads and Timoth McVeighs of the world.

But, you're certainly entitled to your opinion.

[Bridget Burke]

44. Muhammad & McVeigh learned to kill in Gulf War I

They didn't appreciate the fine distinction between when it's ok to kill & when it isn't.

I wish all our future Gulf War II veterans well. Let's hope they're all able to make the transition.

[SOS]

49. What makes me sick

are the 113 INNOCENT men who have been released from death row after being falsely convicted. These are all cases of factual innocence, not technicalities.

Anthony Porter was framed by prosecutors for a double murder.
He was 100% innocent. He had nothing to do with the crime. Yet he was sentenced to death and came within 2 days of being murdered. Journalism students managed to free him.

A system that falsely sentences 113 men to death is pretty hard to defend.

[Sandpiper]

52. Your position certainly has merit

But doesn't really apply to the case at hand. John Allen Muhammad's guilt in this case is unquestionable.

[Mike Daniels]

53. That's why I'm in favor of the death penalty only for cases like this

If there's any chance that human error/corruption could result in an innocent person being put to death in a particular case I'm totally behind the concept of life without parole.

However, there was no doubt as to Muhammed's guilt. The evidence was there and was never ever seriously questioned in court. Furthermore, Muhammed's lack of remorse and other elements could lead one to believe that Muhammed would be a threat to people even in prison.

That said, I totally agreed with the jury's decision to sentence Malvo to life in prision. With Malvo's age and the fact that he was most likely not in full mental capacity due to Muhammed's influence I feel circumstances didn't warrant the death penalty in his case

[megatherium]

22. I'm against the death penalty too

but to tell you the truth, I'm not going to miss Muhammad.

[RandomKoolzip]

27. Yes, he's a wretched piece of shit.

And so's his little boy-robot.

But state sanctioned murder is just something I can't get behind.

[RandomKoolzip]

19. Oh boy.

Revenge killing by the state. Whoopie.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

23. My brother

I just can't feel the kind of blood thirstyness the pro- death penalty folks want me to feel.

[RandomKoolzip]

24. A death is a death is a death......

Maybe if I was a member of one of the victim's families I'd feel different. But I've never felt that the death of one balances out the death of another.

It's funny how DUers also get on Bush's case for his horrendous execution spree while governor, but think murdering Muhammed is somehow OK.

Murder is murder, whether it's committed by the state or by a psychotic loner.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

25. same with uday and kusay

people were freiking foamin' at the mouth for some more death, death, death!!!

I'm not feelin' it

[Sandpiper]

30. The word Murder is actually a legal term of art

n/t

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

33. Murder - execution. Thats semantics

both words mean kill

[Sandpiper]

36. Murder means

The unlawful killing of a human being with malice aforethought.

Homicide is the killing of a human being.

All murder is homicide, not all homicide is murder.

[RandomKoolzip]

39. Well, let me correct myself then.

Homicide is homicide is homicide. Feel better?


Neither do I.

[TroglodyteScholar]

43. That's ridiculous

MURDER = killing another human being
HOMICIDE = killing another human being

You distinguish between the two so that you can justify supporting one of them.

Humans killing humans = barbarism

The cycle will perpetuate itself until we all recognize it as a cycle.

[demdave]

46. Please never show if called to jury duty.

I would hate to have a person go before you charged with involuntary vehicular manslaughter and you try him for murder. There is a legal distinction in every country, even those without death penalties. Look into it and learn.

[private_ryan]

51. seems to have gotten the right guy

and with what I did, I say more power to them.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

55. How come Muhammed gets death

while the guy who masterminded the murder of innocents in Iraq will not even get a trial?

It's the hypocrisy of this that bothers me the most about the death penalty.

[slackmaster]

56. The death penalty is barbaric and outdated

Hammurabic justice at its worst.

[noonwitch]

63. I agree about the death penalty, but I won't be mourning when he dies

I'd rather see him get life/no parole, because I hate the death penalty. I do think what he did is terrible and he needs to pay for it. It particularly bothers me that he manipulated a kid who trusted him into killing people, and ruined his life, too.

[FatSlob]

57. I'll rejoice

when the execution is complete. What? I'm not allowed to hate? I'll hate all I want. Hate is good when it is directed at slime like Muhammed.

[Red_Storm]

59. Albert Camus wrote.................

"A punishment that penalizes without forestalling is indeed called revenge. It is a quasi-arithmetical reply made by society to whoever breaks it's primordial law. That reply is as old as man; it is called the law of retaliation. Whoever has done me harm must suffer harm; whoever has put out my eye must lose an eye; and whoever has killed must die. This is an emotion, and a particularly violent one, not a principle. Retaliation is related to nature and instinct, not to law. Law, by definition cannot obey the same rules as nature."

[wicket]

62. Camus was great

Robert Kennedy was reading a lot of him when he was assassinated.

[Vladimir]

60. A life for a life

humanity has really progressed over the last few thousand years...

The death penalty, so its claimed, is a deterrent. Here's a radical alternative deterrent: much, much, much tighter gun control laws, a-la the UK. Which strangely enough doesn't have the side-effects of discriminating against the poor and minorities.

<Asbestos suit>

V

[Red_Storm]

64. "tighter gun controls" ........in the U.S. ?........not likely to happen

[Vladimir]

65. I need to remmeber

to include sarcasm brackets in the future... heh

V