Teenager convicted of sniper murders
A jury convicted Lee Boyd Malvo of capital murder in the Washington-area sniper attacks today, rejecting claims that the teenager was brainwashed by John Allen Muhammad into taking part in the three-week reign of terror that left 10 people dead.
The jury now will decide whether Malvo, 18, should be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. A jury in nearby Virginia Beach convicted Muhammad last month and recommended that he be executed for his role in the killings.
Malvo, whose expressions had often been animated throughout the trial, had a blank look on his face when the verdict was read.
He was convicted of two counts of capital murder in the October 14, 2002, killing of FBI analyst Linda Franklin outside a store in Falls Church, Virginia.
One count alleges multiple murders in a three-year period the second alleges Franklin’s death was intended to terrorise the public.
Malvo and Muhammad are the first two people tried under the post-September 11 terrorism law.
