D.C. Sniper's Family: "We Have a Letter"

Sniper John Allen Muhammad Offers No Words before He's Put to Death but Family Attorney Implies He Left a Letter

(CBS/AP)  Sniper John Allen Muhammad refused to utter any last words as he was executed, taking to the grave answers about why and how he plotted the killings of 10 people that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area for three weeks in October 2002.

However, a lawyer for Mohammad's family said Tuesday that "we have a letter" - presumably written by Mohammad - that would be disclosed at a later time.

At a press conference in Richmond, the sniper's family refused to comment but their lawyer Charlene Paterson "expressed remorse" on their behalf and said they were not prepared to disclose the letter.

"Based on the emotional climate, some of the comments I am sure you are all aware of last night, the family is not comfortable disclosing any of the details on that letter at this time," Paterson said.

Other than revealing the existence of a letter, Paterson had no further comment.

Last week, attorneys for Muhammad released a May 2008 letter in which he proclaimed his innocence. In the letter dated May 8, 2008, and rife with misspellings, Muhammad writes of discussions with a new team of attorneys and of assurances that "exculpatory evidence" that he claims was withheld from his trial "will prove my innocent and what really happen ...."

Relatives of the victims of the sniper attacks in the Washington, D.C., area say they would have liked to hear John Allen Muhammad voice some remorse before he was executed last night.

Others, meanwhile, say they're glad he's gone and won't hurt more people.

Muhammad died Monday night at a prison near Richmond. He offered no final statement.

Bob Meyers, whose brother was fatally shot at a Virginia gas station, was among the witnesses. He says he would have liked Muhammad to take some responsibility for his actions.

Nelson Rivera, whose wife was gunned down at a Maryland gas station, says he "can breathe better."

Sonia Hollingsworth-Wills, whose son was the last man killed, remained in a car outside the prison as Muhammad was put to death. She says she'll never get complete closure, but she can now put this behind her.

D.C. Sniper John Allen Muhammad Executed
Lawyers See John Allen Muhammad's Humanity
The Sniper's Victims
Profiles of the Snipers
Map: The 2002 Killing Spree
Photos: The Maryland Trial
Photos: The Virginia Trial

[pugster]

I hope that it doesn't say "Allah made me do it."

[SusanStoHelit]

No doubt some "poor me", they deserved to die type of BS. Good on the family for not disclosing it - there's no reason to.

[luvheat]

Anybody with an ounce of common sense can see this for what it is, a ploy for the "family" to gain monetarily from this and of course blame his actions on racism. If/when they are "ready" to disclose the "letter" and refuse a penny for doing so, then I may at least lend it some credence. However I still find the timing of this "letter' very self serving.

[DaVicar8]

Sniper's Family: "We Have a Letter" - - -

Sorry, NOT interested.


Next...

[p94932]

who cares about the letter, he's dead, and we're happy

[get_down]

And if anyone has asked my wallet, I'm sure its response would be - "Frankly, my Dear - I don't give a D-A-M-N to the DC Sniper's Family!"

[stillunbanable]

"Last week, attorneys for Muhammad released a May 2008 letter in which he proclaimed his innocence. In the letter dated May 8, 2008, and rife with misspellings,"


Rife "with misspellings" decribes every article I have read at SeeBSnews

[get_down]

Finally, this punk/thug/"DC Sniper" - a.k.a. John Allen Muhammad has met his ultimate fate - executed through lethal injection for committing the crime of cold-bloodedly and cowardly murdering of 10 innocent civilians. Justice served 7 years late but not escaped! The whole world is a little bit safer with one perpetrator less! And Hallelujah and praise the Lord!

[denvermorgan3000]

im sure the letter reads about like this"Im was railroaded
since im black" or my wife framed me they didnt release it because im sure its a smear against all the people he hated

[gcgray1]

there is something like 4000 of these schums that needs to be off the tax payers taxes.so gov.get on with your job .next get the sniper at fort hood.

[cusefan211c]

I just dont get the system we are using here in the US. It took 7 years to put this dirtbag to death yet seems like all over the US it takes 15 to 20 some odd years to put the rest of the scum of society to death. We need a harsher system in place and i am sick of hearing how much it costs to put a convict to death..( phooey i say doesn't cost a dime to hang them, only what 25 cents for a bullet in the back of the skull, shouldn't cost that much to throw the plunger for lethal injection or throw the switch for electrocution.. well lets just wait on the electrocution until the build more cheaper and cleaner nuclear powerplants and stop buying foreign oil for one save us tax payers more money).. how about a prison clean-out overturn life sentences and impose death so us taxpayers can stop feeding and housing them. It seems it only took 7 years to put this man to death yet how many others were in line before him that need to meet their maker just doesn't sit right with me he got to go so soon when others are sucking the life from the system. Not saying he didn't deserve to go but i am sure others were in line first.

[mswolfestock]

Yeah, I really hate the idea that all of these animals are being fed on the tax payers dime. They should send a bill to the killer's family - make them pay while he's still breathing. If the family has no money to support their convicted killer then flip the switch and send them the body C.O.D. Having tax payers pay for convicted killers to eat is as bad as tax payers bailing out Wall Street. In the end we all feel like we have been royally *s*c*r*e*w*e*d* and nobody has learned anything.

[SusanStoHelit]

Putting them to death is cheap. The appeals, and the extra security on death row is expensive - but both of them are worth it. We HAVE had people who were proven COMPLETELY INNOCENT on death row - appeals are necessary - streamlining for cases where there is no chance of innocence would help. We've even had a case where all the evidence sadly says we killed an innocent man.

But appeals are necessary so we execute the right person - rather than compounding the crime by executing an innocent, as the real killer walks free. And the extra security for the killers of death row is needed too, so they can never escape or hurt anyone while their appeals run out.

[CompletelyFrustrated]

If this letter was so "powerful" and revealed evidence to contradict the trial, why are they bringing it forward now? A desperate attempt to make a vicious killer seem like a victim!

His actions or lack there of affirmed his guilt. Rather than put him to sleep he should have been made to suffer like his victims!

[skeetchamp]

actually, you have confused the facts... the family doesn't according to the article claim this new letter proclaims his innocence... they don't say what it says, that's the point. the article states that in a previously published statement he claimed innocence.
rather than trying to paint him as a victim it sounds to me that they are setting us up for some book deal where they publish this mysterious manifesto.

[Sloughfoot]

Here comes the maggots and the money crowd. Real or not I (we) got the letter. "Muhammad" hmm, that would be muslim, correct.

[displeased]

"Muhammad" hmm, that would be muslim, correct.
by Sloughfoot

Does it matter?

[SusanStoHelit]

No.

Muhammad would be a name, given by his parents, long before he was remotely adult enough to choose a religion. He was a killer - just as many Christians are killers - far more of them can be named than Muslim killers. It's not religion - it's whether you are a killer or not.

There is NO religion that doesn't have it's fair share of violent felons of that religion in prison. The stats don't show any group to be immune, nor even much different from another.