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Snipers to be tried in Virginia

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington Nov. 8. After three weeks of wrangling and suspense, the Federal Government has stepped in and said that the "Beltway Sniper'' and his accomplice will be tried in Virginia saying that the State had the "best law, the best facts and the best range of available penalties''. The Attorney General, John Ashcroft, has ordered John Allen Mohammad and his 17 year old accomplice, John Lee Malvo to stand trial in two Virginia jurisdictions for murder, a crime upon conviction that carries the death penalty.

Mr. Ashcroft said that he sent the pair to Virginia partly because the state laws provide the best opportunities for the death penalty.

"It is appropriate — it is imperative — that the ultimate sanction be available for those convicted of these crimes'', Mr. Ashcroft said.

Virginia laws allow for the execution of 17 year olds who will be tried as adults.

The State has so far executed 86 people since the reinstation of the death penalty in 1976, more than any other state in the country with the exception of Texas. Muhammad and Malvo were shifted from federal custody to Virginia and will be making their appearance in Courts on Friday. It will be months before the actual trial starts. Court records do not name Malvo, instead refer to him as a 17-year-old `juvenile' who will face the death penalty for the killing of Linda Franklin, an analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The "Beltway Sniper'' went about terrorising Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia for three weeks on a killing spree Since the time the two were picked up on October 24, several other murders and shootings in other states have been linked to Mohammed and Malvo.

A total of 13 persons have been killed. From the time of the arrest of the duo a debate came about as to where exactly the prosecution should take place.

Maryland took the position that this should take place in the that state as the most number of killings — six — had taken place in Montgomery County. But Federal Officials decided against this because the State's death penalty laws were too weak and the record of carrying out the capital punishment was ineffective.

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