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American Morning
Sniper Suspects To Make Separate Court Appearances
Aired November 08, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to stay on this story now and move on to Virginia, where this morning the sniper suspects are scheduled to make separate court appearances.
Our Kathleen Koch joins us now. She's in Prince William County with the latest on the case.
Kathleen -- good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, Virginia this morning takes the first step on that long road to bringing these two men to justice. As you said, two separate hearings, where both men will likely be appointed attorneys to represent them.
Now, it was yesterday that Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the decision to let Virginia go first, saying that it had -- quote -- "the best law, the best facts and the best range of available penalties." Now, that, of course, means the death penalty.
And the two men are being tried in separate counties -- John Lee Malvo in Fairfax County, that for the October 14 murder of FBI analyst Linda Franklin; and then, John Allen Muhammad here in Prince William County for the October 9 shooting of Vietnam veteran Dean Harold Myers at a local gas station.
Prince William prosecutor Paul Ebert has sent a dozen people to Death Row here in Virginia; that's more than any other prosecutor in this state. And he says that he will seek the death penalty in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL EBERT, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY PROSECUTOR: We are a jurisdiction that I guess has had the second most executions, which is a rather dubious distinction. But nevertheless, in cases like this, in my judgment, call for the death penalty. The death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst, and I think from the evidence that all of you are aware over the last month or so, these folks qualify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, Muhammad's hearing here in Prince William County begins at 9:00 a.m.; Malvo's in Fairfax County begins at 1:30 this afternoon. Besides both men being charged with capital murder in these cases, they're also being tried under -- charged under two different new Virginia death penalty laws. One that allows the death penalty, an anti-terrorism law, and the other one allows capital punishment for killing more than one person within three years -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Kathleen Koch in Virginia -- thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired November 8, 2002 - 07:19 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: We want to stay on this story now and move on to Virginia, where this morning the sniper suspects are scheduled to make separate court appearances.
Our Kathleen Koch joins us now. She's in Prince William County with the latest on the case.
Kathleen -- good morning.
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
Well, Virginia this morning takes the first step on that long road to bringing these two men to justice. As you said, two separate hearings, where both men will likely be appointed attorneys to represent them.
Now, it was yesterday that Attorney General John Ashcroft announced the decision to let Virginia go first, saying that it had -- quote -- "the best law, the best facts and the best range of available penalties." Now, that, of course, means the death penalty.
And the two men are being tried in separate counties -- John Lee Malvo in Fairfax County, that for the October 14 murder of FBI analyst Linda Franklin; and then, John Allen Muhammad here in Prince William County for the October 9 shooting of Vietnam veteran Dean Harold Myers at a local gas station.
Prince William prosecutor Paul Ebert has sent a dozen people to Death Row here in Virginia; that's more than any other prosecutor in this state. And he says that he will seek the death penalty in this case.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL EBERT, PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY PROSECUTOR: We are a jurisdiction that I guess has had the second most executions, which is a rather dubious distinction. But nevertheless, in cases like this, in my judgment, call for the death penalty. The death penalty is reserved for the worst of the worst, and I think from the evidence that all of you are aware over the last month or so, these folks qualify.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: Now, Muhammad's hearing here in Prince William County begins at 9:00 a.m.; Malvo's in Fairfax County begins at 1:30 this afternoon. Besides both men being charged with capital murder in these cases, they're also being tried under -- charged under two different new Virginia death penalty laws. One that allows the death penalty, an anti-terrorism law, and the other one allows capital punishment for killing more than one person within three years -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Kathleen Koch in Virginia -- thank you very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
