John Allen Muhammad, the man who orchestrated the chilling Washington D.C. sniper attacks in 2002, faced his final moments in Virginia’s death chamber. Within seconds of entering the execution room, he was strapped to a gurney, a needle inserted into each arm, his left foot rhythmically tapping.
“Mr. Muhammad, do you have any last words?” the warden inquired, addressing the mastermind behind the attacks that claimed ten lives and instilled terror throughout the Washington metropolitan area. John Allen Muhammad, maintaining a composed and unyielding demeanor, remained silent, offering no final statement.
At 9:11 p.m. on Tuesday, the 48-year-old John Allen Muhammad died by lethal injection. Present as witnesses were relatives of the victims whose lives were tragically cut short during the three-week rampage in October 2002. Separated by glass from the 27 other witnesses, victims’ families watched intently, their gaze fixed on the unfolding scene. The atmosphere in the room was somber and quiet, reflecting the gravity of the moment.
Paul Ebert, the Prince William County prosecutor who witnessed the execution at Greensville Correctional Center, south of Richmond, commented on the stark contrast between Muhammad’s peaceful death and the violent ends of his victims. “He died very peacefully, much more than most of his victims,” Ebert stated.
John Allen Muhammad was executed for the murder of Dean Harold Meyers, who was fatally shot at a Manassas gas station during the sniper spree that spanned Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Lingering Questions Surround the DC Sniper
The execution of John Allen Muhammad brought a definitive end to his life, but it failed to provide closure in the form of answers to critical questions. The motives behind his calculated attacks, the selection of seemingly random victims, and the full extent of his actions remain shrouded in mystery, buried with him. These unanswered questions continue to haunt the memory of the terror he inflicted.
Bob Meyers, the brother of Dean Harold Meyers, described witnessing the execution as a deeply affecting and “surreal” experience. He noted the diverse emotions among the witnesses, with some family members visibly overwhelmed. Meyers expressed a desire for Muhammad to have acknowledged his responsibility and shown remorse, stating, “I would have liked him at some point in the process to take responsibility, to show remorse. We didn’t get any of that tonight.”
The execution process itself was swift. Following the administration of the first drug in the lethal cocktail, John Allen Muhammad blinked repeatedly and took approximately seven deep breaths before becoming motionless within a minute.
Nelson Rivera, whose wife, Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, was killed while vacuuming her van at a Maryland gas station, found a measure of relief in witnessing Muhammad’s death. “I feel better. I think I can breathe better,” Rivera shared, expressing a sense of closure and relief that Muhammad could no longer cause harm. “I’m glad he’s gone because he’s not going to hurt anyone else.”
J. Wyndal Gordon, one of John Allen Muhammad’s attorneys, painted a picture of his client in his final hours as resolute and unwavering in his claims of innocence. Before observing the execution, Gordon remarked, “He will die with dignity — dignity to the point of defiance,” highlighting Muhammad’s unrepentant stance.
The reign of terror instigated by John Allen Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, concluded on October 24, 2002. Police apprehended them at a Maryland rest stop as they slept in a car modified to conceal a shooter in the trunk.
Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 during the attacks, received a life sentence without parole for the murder of Linda Franklin, a 47-year-old FBI analyst killed in Falls Church, Virginia. The pair were also implicated in fatal shootings in other states, including Louisiana, Alabama, and Arizona, expanding the scope of their violence beyond the Washington D.C. area.
Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad
Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad, pictured in an undated photo from the Virginia Department of Corrections, was executed in November 2009 for his role in the 2002 Washington D.C. sniper attacks.
John Allen Muhammad’s final legal appeals were rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, and Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine denied his clemency request on Tuesday, paving the way for his execution.
Muhammad’s legal team had appealed to Governor Kaine to commute his sentence to life imprisonment, arguing that John Allen Muhammad suffered from severe mental illness. However, Kaine, known for his careful consideration of death penalty cases, stated, “I think crimes that are this horrible, you just can’t understand them, you can’t explain them,” underscoring the incomprehensible nature of Muhammad’s actions.
A small group of death penalty opponents gathered near the prison, holding a sign that read, “We remember the victims, but not with more killing,” expressing their dissent against capital punishment even in the face of such heinous crimes.
Born John Allen Williams, John Allen Muhammad changed his name after converting to Islam. His background included military service in the National Guard and the Army, where he earned an expert rating in the M-16 rifle, the military version of the .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle used in the sniper attacks. Despite his military background, he did not receive specialized sniper training.
The precise motivation behind the sniper attacks remains elusive. Lee Boyd Malvo claimed that John Allen Muhammad’s aim was to extort $10 million from the government to establish a camp in Canada for training homeless children as terrorists. In contrast, John Allen Muhammad’s ex-wife believed the attacks were a smokescreen for his actual plan to murder her and regain custody of their children, presenting conflicting theories about his true intentions.
Sonia Hollingsworth-Wills, the mother of Conrad Johnson, the last victim killed in October 2002, chose not to witness the execution but waited nearby, counting down the minutes until John Allen Muhammad’s death. “It was the most horrifying day of my life,” she recounted, expressing that while complete closure might be unattainable, Muhammad’s execution allowed her to move forward. “I’ll never get complete closure but at least I can put this behind me.”
Cheryll Witz, daughter of Jerry Taylor, who was fatally shot in Arizona in March 2002, voiced her disappointment at John Allen Muhammad’s silence before his death. However, she viewed his execution as a turning point. “I’ve waited seven long years for this,” she said, emphasizing the sense of resolution and peace it brought. “My life is totally beginning now. I have all my closure, and my justice and my peace.”
