John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. Sniper, will die by lethal injection tomorrow.
John Allen Muhammad and his teenaged accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, terrorized the Washington, D.C. area for three weeks in October 2002. In the end, 10 people were dead and three were wounded. The victims, selected at random, were shot while doing mundane chores like pumping gas and loading Halloween decorations into a car.
I’m sure you remember the terror of the killings. But you may not realize that the killing spree was an escalation of a child custody battle.
Psychological abuse
Mildred Muhammad, the ex-wife of John Allen Muhammad, spoke at the Battered Mothers Custody Conference in Albany last January. Her story was compelling—and heartbreaking.
Mildred was married to Muhammad for 12 years, and they had three children together. Muhammad served in the Gulf War and when he returned, he became abusive.
“His behavior turned to possessiveness,” Mildred said. “I couldn’t do anything right. He was trained in psychological warfare—he was a combat engineer—and he used me as his guinea pig.”
Muhammad didn’t hit her, but inflicted psychological abuse. “Every emotion I displayed, he used against me,” Mildred said. Finally, in 1999, she asked for a divorce.
Kidnapped children
Before, during and after their divorce, Muhammad threatened to kill Mildred. He drained their bank account and kidnapped the children, taking them to Antigua for 18 months. Mildred was forced to hide in a women’s shelter for eight months in the Tacoma, Washington area.
She could not afford legal representation. So while in the women’s shelter, Mildred taught herself the law so she could represent herself. Eventually the children were located. Mildred went to court, won her case and was awarded full custody. Then she fled across the country to Maryland.
Muhammad found her. And, Mildred says, that’s why he went on the killing spree. Muhammad planned to kill her, and the rest of the murders were an elaborate ruse to cover up her murder. She would just be another of the random victims, and he could show up as the grieving ex-husband, and claim the children.
Want to win
When John Allen Muhammad was brought to trial, the prosecutor put forth Mildred’s contention that the killing spree was intended cover up the eventual death of his ex-wife. The court, however, ruled that there was insufficient evidence to support the argument.
But after all the stories I’ve heard from Lovefraud readers, I think it’s totally plausible. Sociopaths want to win. Nothing else matters to them. I believe John Allen Muhammad was willing to kill 10 innocent people, at random, just to get his way.
If ever there was a case that demonstrated the lengths a sociopath will go to in order to win, this is it.
No conscience
According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Muhammad’s lawyers filed an appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court last week, claiming that the killer is mentally ill and delusional.
But Paul Ebert, the Virginia prosecutor who won Muhammad’s death sentence, said, “This guy had absolutely no conscience. He killed people just like they were flies.”
Mildred also does not believe that her ex-husband is mentally ill.
Support for other victims
Mildred has written a book about her ordeal called Scared Silent. She has also founded an organization in Maryland to support survivors of domestic violence called After the Trauma.
“I started After the Trauma because of my own personal domestic violence experience and thought of all the other women in similar situations who need day-to-day assistance, as I did,” Mildred writes on her website. “After the Trauma is women who are transitioning from a domestic violence situation and are ready to take the next step into ”˜freedom.’”
Like many of us here at Lovefraud, Mildred Muhammad has been through an incredible ordeal. And like many of us, she emerged on the other side stronger, and willing to help others along the path to healing.
super chic
jillsmith, this is fabulous news! Congratulations!!! I am so happy to hear that you and your son are doing great! I love the “don’t mess with me” and standing in you truth and strength, you are brave!!
skylar
Jill,
awesome news. See what God has in store for us is always good!! You were brave, you learned, you listened, you used what God gave you to WIN.
I’m ecstatic for you.
I’m fading fast tonight because it’s past my bed time. just having fun though.
kim frederick
Hi, EB. I am becoming aware of my own weaknesses. One of them is not being able to resist playing a game. I began to see this in my games with Mr. Buffalo. It really bothered me when I thought about it. It made me realize how arrogant I am. And foolish. Here I am doing it again. I’m enjoying it? How sick is that?
skylar
Kim,
why did it bother you?
Aren’t we allowed to ask questions?
There is so much to learn.
jillsmith
Oh and why we’re on the topic of apologies, I noticed you were concerned about my apology to Oxy the other day, Skylar. Just so you know, I actually thought Oxy was a monitor of some kind before this came up and I found out she was not one. That is why I apologized to her. I also genuinely felt bad because I thought I was stirring up something that everyone had decided was over. If I had known she’s not an admin or moderator, I would not have apologized for speaking or offering my own opinion. I just had to clear that one up because the conversation about me went on about me while I wasn’t on the board and I never got to explain.
Here’s a general question for the board: Do people really think that people who apologize or give sincere compliments are insincere? This kind of hurts my feelings and is a bit triggering for me because my ex used to make fun of me and put me down for “being too nice”. It made me paranoid to socially engage at all. It made me hate myself and my personality and try to change it. I really am sincere. You would know that if you knew me IRL.
jillsmith
EDIT: “Oh and WHILE we’re on the topic”, not “Oh and why we’re on the topic”.
ErinBrock
Kim:
If something bothers you, effects you, …..then look closely at the triggers and take back the control over YOU.
It’s all about being aware of ourselves and what triggers us or sucks us in.
Growth comes with change.
super chic
jillsmith, no, I don’t think that people who apologize or give sincere compliments are insincere. We’re nice, compassionate, strong people, that is why the S is attracted to us… and of course they would put us down for that and anything else they can think up.
skylar
Jill, I never thought you were insincere, I just wory about everyone trying to blend in so much that they can’t just be themselves.
I’m glad you know that the only monitor is Donna and she is quite liberal AFAIK.
Being nice is not a bad thing. I really like watching how nice everyone is to everyone else, it’s refreshing. it only bothers me when I percieve that someone is “SCARED” to just speak their mind. Then I get triggered and I am not one to be afraid to speak my mind.
BTW, you are awesome and incredibly couragous as far as I’m concerned.
struggling
Jillsmith,
I can completely agree with you on how it hurts and makes you feel I could have said everything you said in your second paragraph myself,,,thanks for saying it….I didn’t have the spine myself.