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American Morning
D.C. Sniper Suspect Malvo is Eligible for Death Penalty
Aired January 16, 2003 - 07:11 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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's leave that story and get to Virginia now. A judge there has ruled that D.C. sniper suspect, John Lee Malvo, will be tried as an adult. That means the 17-year-old could face the death penalty if convicted.
Patty Davis, yet again today, watching and covering that story in the D.C. area.
Patty -- good morning.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Witness after witness called by the prosecution tied 17-year-old John Lee Malvo to four of the sniper shootings. One witness identifying Malvo as the caller on phone calls to police. "Dear police, call me God," said the caller, "Your children are not safe."
Another identified Malvo's fingerprints, and only his fingerprints, on the Bushmaster rifle found in Malvo's car when he was arrested and linked to the murders.
Two notes left at shooting scenes demanding money to stop the killings. Now, prosecutors say that demand violated a new antiterrorism law in Virginia, and that could bring the death penalty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't know what's plainer than saying that if you commit a particular act of violence with intent to intimidate the populace or government, you come within the confines of that statute. And we'll have to see what the circuit court says about it, but I think those are pretty plain words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: Malvo's lawyers disagreed, saying that the demand for money was nothing more than blackmail. They argue that no one can place Malvo at any of these shootings, but the judge agreed that the circumstantial evidence here is strong, and sent this case to the grand jury for a formal indictment.
Just one note here on Malvo's reaction. I watched as he raised his eyebrows just a bit as this decision came, nothing more than that, a very long road ahead for him -- Bill.
HEMMER: Patty Davis in Washington.
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 January 16, 2003 - 07:11 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's leave that story and get to Virginia now. A judge there has ruled that D.C. sniper suspect, John Lee Malvo, will be tried as an adult. That means the 17-year-old could face the death penalty if convicted.
Patty Davis, yet again today, watching and covering that story in the D.C. area.
Patty -- good morning.
PATTY DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Bill.
Witness after witness called by the prosecution tied 17-year-old John Lee Malvo to four of the sniper shootings. One witness identifying Malvo as the caller on phone calls to police. "Dear police, call me God," said the caller, "Your children are not safe."
Another identified Malvo's fingerprints, and only his fingerprints, on the Bushmaster rifle found in Malvo's car when he was arrested and linked to the murders.
Two notes left at shooting scenes demanding money to stop the killings. Now, prosecutors say that demand violated a new antiterrorism law in Virginia, and that could bring the death penalty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I don't know what's plainer than saying that if you commit a particular act of violence with intent to intimidate the populace or government, you come within the confines of that statute. And we'll have to see what the circuit court says about it, but I think those are pretty plain words.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIS: Malvo's lawyers disagreed, saying that the demand for money was nothing more than blackmail. They argue that no one can place Malvo at any of these shootings, but the judge agreed that the circumstantial evidence here is strong, and sent this case to the grand jury for a formal indictment.
Just one note here on Malvo's reaction. I watched as he raised his eyebrows just a bit as this decision came, nothing more than that, a very long road ahead for him -- Bill.
HEMMER: Patty Davis in Washington.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
