The DC sniper case, also known as the Beltway Sniper, involved the use of tarot cards and taunts to bring killers to justice. The “Death” Tarot card was the specific card left by John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo during their killing spree in October 2002. Officers were enraged by the taunting clues left behind, such as the “Death” Tarot card inscribed “Call me God”, bogus ransom letters, and rambling phone calls warning of future victims.
The shooter demanded $10 million on a Visa card, and days later, Conrad Johnson, a father of two, was fatally shot. In October 2002, the Establishment massively publicized and reproduced another card from the Tarot deck, the number 13 Death card, in connection with the incident. Investigators found an occult tarot card near the wooded spot from which the bullet apparently had been fired, bearing the image of a masked person running out of nearby woods.
The Beltway Sniper attacks were a series of coordinated shootings that occurred during three weeks in October 2002 in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland. A tarot card of death found near a suburban Maryland school where a boy was shot Monday could provide investigators with a valuable clue in their search for the killers. Between October 2 and 24, 2022, 41-year-old John Allen Muhammad and his teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo drove around Washington DC, leaving a cover sheet demanding $10 million in extortion money. The case challenged the cultural trope of the white male serial killer.
📹 “I Stole People’s Lives” || The DC Sniper Case
In October 2002, John Allen Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo went on a shooting spree in the Washington Mid-Atlantic area.
📹 The DC SniperDocumentary BBC 2013
A documentary on the DC Sniper and how he got caught.
So ironic that you guys made this article after I was just talking about this with a coworker. I was in Chester, VA when this happened. We even had a few days off from school because of it. Wild story. My uncle was a GM of Blockbuster article at the time. After the arrests, he realized that John Mohammed was in his store and rented a article and he spoke to him. I had to ask what the movie was he rented. He told me it was Scarface
I was in high school near Baltimore and had just gotten my driver’s license when this happened. I’d been talking to a girl online who lived in Rockville and we decided to meet down there as she couldn’t drive yet. My mom was so angry with me for going down there, but you know, hormones. My sister had a neighbor who, after the vehicle description came out, realized they’d seen the car driving through their neighborhood in Pasadena, MD. About 7 years later I lived near Alexandria and, as a new home owner, would go to that Home Depot all the time. Never knew it was part of this until now but I recognized it immediately. Crazy stuff.
I remember this case vividly as I have lived 20 min outside of DC, right outside of the beltway, my whole life. At the time I was 12 and both of my parents would have to commute on the beltway to get to work everyday. Everyone tried staying home as much as possible but I remember anytime we would have to leave the house, my dad would have my mom and I hide as low as possible so that we couldn’t be seen from the outside of the windows. Still, no one in the DMV was safe and we were always scared. I pray for all those affected by this awful tragedy.
He will never leave prison. Sometimes I think that life in prison is a worse fate than the death penalty. I am a firm believer in capital punishment, but he deserves to rot. And it disgusts me that these murderers can get married, consumate and have access to privileges like cable and internet. Awesome article, Chris!! I remember this case all too well.
Horrid. And to those saying he Lee should be given a second chance and let free, and not finish his sentence, not to do his time, is an insult to the victims and their families. It is ignorance at best and selfish social media virtue signaling at its worst Criminals must do their time, it sends a message to would-be criminals. A soft justice system only inspires more criminals to action.
I had just graduated high school when this happened and I remember being freaked out whenever I had to go out. I think Malvo is right where he needs to be, and where he needs to stay. I also think Muhammad got off easier, having only spent around 7 years in prison before his execution. He should have been made to suffer in prison for much longer; death was the easy way out.
I remember this time very clearly – as I lived and worked in the area. It is absolutely true that crossing parking lots to enter stores became a really scary activity! They released the list of the potential targets after the arrest- and the schools my niece and nephew attended were on the list. Eek! Thank goodness these people were stopped!!!
Wooohoo!! I’m here 😃 Happy Saturday Chris and Amy! When I hear about ANY type of shootings I think..some people should not be allowed to have ANY type of deadly weapon! Especially teenagers! I mean were this person/persons playing enne meene minne mo 🙄 Some of these crimes make my head hurt thinkin about what goes through the minds of ALL p Psychopaths!! I hope ya’ll are havin a wonderful weekend 😃💙💜 ~*~ Much Love ~*~
I remember when this happened. When the note about killing kids came out, the schools shut down for weeks here. They sent us home with big packets of work to do and planned to wait. I lived in a large North Carolina town that borders Virgina. I was in 12th grade. No one was going to grocery stores, schools, and gas stations. Even my boyfriend/now husband took the gas out of his abusive Dad’s car just to avoid a gas station. We were scared this tourist town was next. Only a few gas stations opened with a cop at them. The same for grocery stores too. When they caught the guys, the town slowly went back to normal within a few days.
I live in Maryland and remember that time vividly. You felt like you were literally taking your life in your hands when you did normal daily things like filling up your car, going shopping or going out to eat. And it wasn’t only outside things. We pulled our curtains closed so we couldn’t be targeted as we walked past them. Hell of a way to live. The relief when they were found was palpable. This is the first I’m hearing of the three phase plan.
I remember this whole case so well. My family is going to be traveling up to visit relatives in Pennsylvania and we would have to go through the areas that were at high risk, the places with tarps over gas stations and all. My parents knew we’d have to stop at those gas stations on our way up there and were so close to cancelling our trip–and we would have if the snipers hadn’t been caught. I wish they could have been caught sooner, but I’m glad they weren’t caught any later.
I’d like a team, or a panel of psychologists, psychiatrists, MDs, POs, LE etc; to evaluate him. If he isn’t like to reoffend, or commit new various crimes, I think he should be granted a chance, maybe with lifetime probation, idk. But he was an abused child, in every sense of the word, and was taken advantage of in every conceivable way. If it’s safe to do so, we should give him a chance. I wouldn’t want to call it a second chance, because that would imply that he had been given a first chance originally. I guess this would be more like his first chance…
I was living in VA at the time of the shootings, they stayed the night not a 1/2 mile from my house. They stayed the night at the university, they were told to move along. Later they realized who they were. My wife at the time was working in town up the road, I got gas at one of the gas stations they shot at.
Hi Chris and Amy! Happy New Year! I remember when this happened. Here’s my opinion. I don’t care what kind of childhood someone has, what influence they have. If they openly participate in evil acts, they should be punished just like the next guy. Plenty of people (myself included) had horrible childhoods and all kinds of outside influences. They don’t become killers. I didn’t. And I’m a firm believer in the death penalty. I think our system has gotten slack on criminals. There is no deterrent to not commit crime.I’m not sure if harsher punishment would be the answer or not but it just seems like evil people don’t care about getting thrown in prison. Hell, you can watch TV, have a gym membership, get a college degree (even though you can’t really use it), three meals and if you look hard enough, you can continue your drug habit if you have one. I don’t know the answer but my main point is this. That kid was old enough to know better. If you’re gonna act like an adult, well, you’re gonna have to pay the consequences like an adult. IMO. Thanks for the recap Chris. Sorry, I kinda went on a rant. ☺️ ❤️💜💚
There a couple who came out and told when they were traveling they had to get off at rest stop to use restroom, and the husband waited for his wife nd while he was waiting he noticed another car in lot and he said the driver was looking at him with mean look so when his wife came out he rushed her to car and drove off he said he noticed a hole in the back of the car, later on they watched the news and saw same rest stop and same car and found out it was the d c sniper,and this was before they had put out the photos,if they had put them out sooner they would have been able to call it in, crazy!!
It is entirely possible that the older man was controlling him in some way shape or form, the fact that he couldn’t go through with shooting the pregnant woman! I think that because he couldn’t go through with murdering a pregnant woman and was becoming more aware of the control he has been under proves that he was being manipulated to do horrible things and to go along with it. He realizes what he did wrong and that he was a monster, life in prison is what he should get!!!!!
We just moved to Chesapeake VA from Bremerton WA the month before the spree. Ironically, we now know he killed his wife’s family member in Tacoma WA the time we lived there. The reason we remembered that murder, was because that area of Washington state, rarely had gun murders. That news stood out. Well, not like here in this part of VA. Daily gun violence is normal. Eventhough, we lived in Hampton roads, as the murders were heading down rts 95 and 64, even us down here were cautious of being targeted. But, both their trials were held here. It was a circus of media. The minor was tried in VA BEACH. The adult was tried in Chesapeake.
This happened in my hometown Ashland Virginia my mom was actually at the gas station at the Ponderosa where the one person was shot in Ashland Virginia I think it was an FBI agent or a CIA agent or something like that ….and mom had to stay there eight hours cuz she was there when it happened with my stepfather and they were interviewed by the FBI the local police the sheriff the state police she said she was interviewed five times. I was twenty at the time
I know they came through norfolk, va. I was at a store named Below on Princess ann Rd., just standing at a lottery machine pressing buttons waiting on my mom to finish her purchase. A single bullet came through the window, no more than 2 inches from my head. Everyone turned to look because we didn’t know what had happened. We saw the hole in the window above my head. I was in shock and just stood there. The window shadow slowly. A woman pulled me away. I was 22 years old then:(
I’m all about second chances, but a second chance at freedom when you stole that freedom from others? No, absolutely not. 17 is way old enough to understand that murder is wrong. Everyone is responsible for THEIR own actions, regardless of whether or not you are under someone or something else’s influence.
I remember where he killed Sarah Ramos, not far from there was an atm and a day before I stopped to get money. Then I drove to a job site which was about a mile from where the kid was shot. I remember when getting gas I didn’t looks where its was cheaper, I stopped at the gas stations which had those blue tarps no matter the price per gallon or location.
I don’t know if getting the death penalty means what it used to. Especially now because there’s a moratorium on it and nobody gets put to death. It’s been a long time in California since anyone that was given the death penalty was executed. I don’t know whatever happened to putting people in prison to rehabilitate them but, that doesn’t seem to happen anymore either. 🤷🏼♀️
Obviously this guy was a young unguided and misguided and brainwashed into all this situations he did not have the best knowledge on what he was doing he was doing what his dad told him to do. I don’t think he should be released from prison but the death penalty I don’t think he should get either. he was to young and misguided.
He should keep his life sentences, but I believe he should be let out and pay for life as well. Ankle bracelet for life and random drug and alcohol testing without notice, as well as to work for the community where he would live or even better to have to return to prison every night and at least 20 hours every week cleaning and painting or in construction, besides to have a full time job to pay for food and bills.He was brained washed and a minor with a tuff background. I don’t believe society should pay for the rest of his life. If not let out he should be in solitary FOR EVER and please give him a string so he kills himself . I actually feel bad to write this but I don’t believe is fair for him to have the rest of his life to just sit and rest in a jail.
Scary … I live in Maryland and I remember the Lunatic happenings of the time. Even in Baltimore County people were hiding in their houses. Coincidently, the entire state of Maryland was created by religious lunatics that wanted control and sadly, we have a Baltimore City Police officer’s funeral scheduled for January 11th
Wow, I just realized that the first shooting took place 1 1/2 blocks from where I lived only months after I moved. I used to shop in that shopping center. I shop there today ;it’s now a Lidl instead of a shoppers food wear house. In fact the first three shooting were right near where I lived at different times. Chilling to think about.
I’ll never forget that I was at a checkpoint where cops were checking every white van and box truck and I was right behind that caprice with a hole in the trunk and thought to myself That’s odd but didn’t think more of it because the police seemed to have it under control. I was on route 29 southbound at the intersection of Briggs Chaney road.
P.S. Jeff and Stephanie Hopoer were no more than 100-120 meters away from the killer if they could have heard the sound of the gunshot because it was only then that Jeff fell to the ground. The speed of sound is constant at 340 m/s, but on the battlefield many factors affect our perception of sound; from wind, pressure, surrounding sounds, even the time of day! From a distance of over 200 meters and further, the victims do not hear the shot that will hit them (they can see the muzzle flash from the rifle or machine gun if there’s no obstacles like bushes, trees, if you consider that the average speed of the bullet is approx. 800 – 1270 m/s Jeff is very lucky man!
The shooting of the young boy, near school is 1 off a lot who were shot. But WTF was that boy no aloud back on the school bus, with all the other kids. Where I’m guessing they’d have sum sort of safety measures 4 kids 2 school, if they’re being kept indoors ect. With this going on. It’s beyond ridiculous he was not allowed on the bus, & had 2 go via car in these circumstances. My God who tf made that decision.
I real professional would’ve taken out his victims from more than 300 yards. if I were the DC sniper id use a .308 suppressed rifle with long range high powered scope, fire from a well camouflaged area or through a small window from the back of a vehicle. the silencer id use would make the blast from a 308 sound like a small pop that’d barely grab any attention
this is not in 2002, it’s in early 1970-1987, and it was a black male used to work in the FBI and was o the Marine army field, why you are changing even the evidence, also he came with younger boy that work with him, but from my point of view, the FBI investigation department also did not found these people guilty, and there was a very highly intelligent man behind all of these crimes and the FBI trying to show you faces that thing you know to help them solve these mystery’s. tell me your opinion guys.