US: The jury that convicted Washington-area sniper John Muhammad of murder recommended yesterday that he be sentenced to death for one of 10 fatal shootings that terrorised the US capital last year.
Muhammad stood impassively in front of the jury as the ruling was read out, his hands clasped in front of him. He later shook hands with his attorneys before being led away.
The panel of seven women and five men recommended two death sentences for Muhammad, who was portrayed in court as the mastermind behind 13 sniper-style shootings and the trainer of his alleged teenage accomplice, Lee Malvo. Judge LeRoy Millette tentatively set formal sentencing for February 12th to allow time for any post-trial motions.
Malvo's lawyers have followed Muhammad's case closely, on the theory that the prosecution picture of Muhammad as a manipulative orchestrator of murder could help their insanity defence. They maintain Muhammad brainwashed Malvo into participating in the sniper shootings.
Muhammad's case was a victory of sorts for US Attorney General Mr John Ashcroft, who decided that Muhammad and Malvo should be tried first in Virginia because of its draconian death penalty laws, despite the fact that killings in Maryland and Washington, DC have been linked to the pair.
Muhammad, a 42-year-old Gulf War veteran, was found guilty on November 17th of two murder counts, conspiracy and a weapons charge in the death of Dean Meyers, a Maryland man gunned down at a gas station on October 9th, 2002 near Manassas, Virginia.
Virginia law allows two capital murder charges in the case of a single death and Muhammad was convicted of two such death-penalty charges. In finding that he deserved the death penalty, jurors agreed that his crimes were sufficiently vile that they showed the actions of a depraved mind. They also unanimously found he would be a future danger to society if not put to death.
Jury foreman Mr Jerry Haggerty said the panel was most swayed by "the collective nature of the crimes".
"The vileness and violence was there across the board, and the lack of remorse," Mr Haggerty told reporters.
Prosecutor Mr Paul Ebert said the jury's death penalty decision was a victory, but stopped short at guessing what Muhammad's motive was for the killings. "One thing's for sure, they took pleasure in terrorising people, they took pleasure in killing people and that's the kind of man who doesn't deserve to be in society," Mr Ebert said.
The jury's findings came as prosecutors in Malvo's trial were set to finish their case in nearby Chesapeake, Virginia, where he is being tried as an adult in a separate murder stemming from the October 2002 spree.