John Allen Muhammad, along with Lee Boyd Malvo, is accused of being the D.C. sniper who killed ten people in
the Washington D.C. area in the fall of 2002. On October 20, 2003, Muhammad went on trial for the slaying of
Dean Meyers who was gunned down outside of a northern Virginia gas station on October 9, 2002. Muhammad made the
unusual and unwise move to serve as his own lawyer. According to the newspapers, in his opening statement
Muhammad proclaimed his innocence. But did he proclaim his innocence? Here are some excerpts from Muhammad's opening
statement to the court and jury.
"And I say to these people. We know something happened. They wasn't there. I was. I know what happened, and
I know what didn't happen."
Muhammad states "They wasn't there. I was." He is telling us he was present when these people were killed
by the sniper. We see further evidence of this when he states "I know what happened, and
I know what didn't happen." In order for him to know what did or did not happen, he would have to be
present when the sniper's shot rang out.
Muhammad thinks he is denying being the sniper. However, telling us he knows what happened and what did not happen
is not a denial. I am certain he does know what happened.
"The evidence, if we monitor step by step and be patient and listen to it carefully, it will show that I had nothing
to do with these crimes. I had nothing to do with these crimes."
"We are looking for evidence, and the evidence will show I had nothing to do with these crimes, that I had nothing
to do with these crimes directly or indirectly, that I know anything about these crimes, that I know any times of these
crimes or anything pertaining to these crimes at all."
Four times he states he had "nothing to do with these crimes." This is typical language of a guilty person. An innocent
person would directly deny this crime by stating "I didn't do it" or "I am not the sniper." Muhammad never makes
this denial.
"You can lock a man up and forget he's there and go out and say every negative thing in the world you can possibly
say about him based on a guess; and ironically about all this, once all this is over, by the grace of the law that I
am found guilty, not guilty, these men, you know what they are going to do?"
Remember Muhammad knows what happened and what did not happen. Perhaps he let the truth slip out.
After the first day of the trail, Muhammad decided he was better off letting his court appointed attorneys take
over the reigns. Based on what we saw in his opening statement, that was a smart move on his part.
Update
In November 2003, John Allen Muhammad was found guilty of murdering Dean Harold Meyers.
