Offender Record · OFF-2026-139
John Muhammad (photo from the Radford University biography)
John Allen Muhammad
Also known as John Allen Williams (birth name)
Sex
Male
Race
African-American
Height
6'1"
Born
1960
Custody
Deceased
States
LA, MD, CA, VA, WA, AZ, DE, OR
Distinguishing featuresNo distinguishing features noted in records.
Custody
Deceased at Greensville Correctional Center
Custody record at the facility
Executed by lethal injection on November 10, 2009.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
John Allen Muhammad was born December 31, 1960, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was convicted in Virginia in November 2003 of capital murder for shooting Dean Harold Meyers at a gas station in Manassas, Virginia on October 9, 2002, as part of a three-week shooting spree. He was also convicted in Maryland in May 2006 of six counts of first-degree murder for additional victims killed during the same spree. Muhammad was sentenced to death in Virginia in March 2004 and to six consecutive life terms without parole in Maryland in June 2006. He was executed by lethal injection on November 10, 2009, at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt, Virginia.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Oct 02, 2002, Wheaton, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of James D. Martin
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
James D. Martin, 55-year-old program analyst for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), was shot at approximately 6:02 p.m. in parking lot of Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery store in Glenmont, Maryland. First victim of the three-week Beltway sniper spree. Conviction part of Maryland trial in which Muhammad was convicted of six first-degree murder counts.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Offense date Oct 02, 2002, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C.
Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony
Prince William County Circuit Court, Virginia · Circuit Court of Virginia Beach, Virginia · Docket Prince William County Capital Murder Case · Virginia Code § 18.2-53 · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 23 years in prison (concurrent with death sentence)
Conviction for use of Bushmaster XM-15 .223 caliber rifle in commission of capital murder across multiple jurisdictions.
SourcesSniper Prosecution; John Allen Muhammad
Offense date Oct 02, 2002, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C.
Conspiracy to Commit Murder
Prince William County Circuit Court, Virginia · Circuit Court of Virginia Beach, Virginia · Docket Prince William County Capital Murder Case · Virginia Code § 18.2-22 · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: 23 years in prison (concurrent with death sentence)
Conspiracy to commit murder conviction based on coordinated sniper attack plan between Muhammad and accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo spanning three weeks and multiple jurisdictions.
SourcesSniper Prosecution; John Allen Muhammad
Offense date Oct 03, 2002, Aspen Hill, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of Premkumar Walekar
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
Premkumar Walekar, 54, shot at 8:12 a.m. on October 3, 2002 at Maryland gas station. Part of Maryland conviction for six first-degree murders.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Offense date Oct 03, 2002, Rockville, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of James Lee Buchanan
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
James Lee Buchanan, 39, also known as 'Sonny' Buchanan, was shot at 7:41 a.m. on October 3, 2002 while cutting grass at Maryland auto dealership. Part of Maryland conviction for six first-degree murders.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Offense date Oct 03, 2002, Kensington, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, 25, shot at 9:58 a.m. on October 3, 2002 while vacuuming her van at Maryland gas station. Part of Maryland conviction for six first-degree murders.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Offense date Oct 03, 2002, Silver Spring, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of Sarah Ramos
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
Sarah Ramos (Maria Sarah Ramos), 34, shot at 8:37 a.m. on October 3, 2002 outside Maryland post office. Part of Maryland conviction for six first-degree murders.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Offense date Oct 09, 2002, Manassas, Virginia
Capital Murder (premeditated murder of Dean Harold Meyers in commission of act of terrorism)
Prince William County Circuit Court, Virginia · Circuit Court of Virginia Beach, Virginia · Docket Prince William County Capital Murder Case · Virginia Code § 18.2-31 (capital murder); terrorism statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death by lethal injection; jury recommended death unanimously; sentenced March 9, 2004
Dean Harold Meyers, 53-year-old Vietnam veteran and civil engineer, was shot once in the head while pumping gas at Sunoco station near Manassas on October 9, 2002. Conviction included two capital murder counts: one for premeditated murder and one under new Virginia terrorism law for murders designed to terrorize the public. Also convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and use of firearm in commission of capital murder. Muhammad acted as his own attorney during trial.
SourcesWashington, D.C. sniper John Muhammad convicted; Beltway (D.C.) Snipers; Sniper Prosecution; John Allen Muhammad
Offense date Oct 22, 2002, Silver Spring, Maryland
First-Degree Murder of Conrad Johnson
Montgomery County Circuit Court, Maryland · Montgomery County Circuit Court · Docket Montgomery County Murder Case · Maryland First-Degree Murder statute · Arrested Oct 24, 2002 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Life imprisonment without possibility of parole; sentenced June 1, 2006
Conrad Johnson, 35, bus driver, shot at 6:00 a.m. on October 22, 2002 on commuter bus in Aspen Hill area of Montgomery County. Final victim of the three-week spree. Part of Maryland conviction for six first-degree murders.
SourcesMuhammad v. State (2007); John Allen Muhammad; Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
10
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
6
Victims suspected
Active years
2002–2002
Range from home
interstate
Accomplice
Yes
Education
high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
3
Military discharge
honorable
Died
2009-11-10 · executed
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Greensville Correctional Center · VA
Death row facility where Muhammad was housed and executed by lethal injection on November 10, 2009
FBI Hostage Rescue Team · US
Participated in arrest team at I-70 rest stop
U.S. Secret Service · US
Provided assistance in investigation
Virginia Beach Circuit Court · VA
Agency case Capital murder; conspiracy; firearm charges
Venue changed from Prince William County for fair trial; trial began October 14, 2003
Prince William County Circuit Court · VA
Agency case Capital murder of Dean Harold Meyers; conspiracy to commit murder; use of firearm in commission of felony
Original jurisdiction; prosecutor Paul Ebert; later moved to Virginia Beach for trial
Montgomery County State's Attorney · MD
Agency case First-degree murder (6 counts)
Douglas Gansler sought convictions in Maryland as insurance policy; Deputy State's Attorney Katherine Winfree and Assistant State's Attorney Vivek Chopra
U.S. Marshals Service · US
Federal law enforcement agency assisting investigation
Arrested Muhammad at rest stop on I-70 in Frederick County; part of SNIPMUR task force
Montgomery County Police Department (Alabama) · AL
Provided information about September 21, 2002 ABC Liquor Store robbery shooting in Montgomery; fingerprint match led to arrest
Fairfax County Circuit Court · VA
Agency case Capital murder charges in FBI analyst Linda Franklin case (dismissed)
Charges for October 14 FBI analyst killing were dismissed for speedy trial violation
Federal Bureau of Investigation · US
400+ agents investigating; FBI Hostage Rescue Team participated in arrest; fingerprint analysis and evidence processing
Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney · VA
Agency case Capital murder; conspiracy; firearm charges
Paul Ebert served as prosecutor; conviction for capital murder of Dean Harold Meyers
Virginia Supreme Court · VA
Agency case Appeal of capital murder conviction
Reviewed appeals of Muhammad's Virginia convictions
Virginia Department of Corrections · VA
Housed Muhammad on death row at Sussex I State Prison before transfer to Greensville for execution
Virginia Department of Transportation · VA
Assisted in investigation
Montgomery County SWAT · MD
Participated in arrest team at I-70 rest stop
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives · US
Ballistic evidence analysis; federal weapons violations charge
Montgomery County Police Department · MD
Initial investigation of crimes; caught initial cases; SWAT officers participated in arrest
Related Offenders
People on other Known Offender records whom the cited records connect to this person.
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
AZ
Arizona
Mar 2002 – Mar 2002 · Present near Tucson when golf course shooting occurred on March 19, 2002; Muhammad's sister lived near the golf course
CA
California
1992 – 1993 · Fort Ord · Transferred to Fort Ord · army
DE
Germany
1990 – 1992 · Transferred to Germany; served in 1991 Gulf War with 84th Engineer Company · army
LA
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1960 – 1978 · Childhood home; raised by grandfather and aunts after mother's death at age 3
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
1978 – 1978 · Scotlandville High School, graduated 1978
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Aug 1978 – Jul 1985 · Louisiana Army National Guard; combat engineer; court-martialed twice for disciplinary infractions · national guard
Louisiana
Aug 2002 – Sep 2002 · Present during Hammond and Baton Rouge shootings in August and September 2002
MD
Frederick, Maryland
Oct 24, 2002 – Oct 24, 2002 · Arrested at rest stop off Interstate 70 near Myersville at 3:30 a.m., found sleeping in 1990 blue Chevrolet Caprice with Lee Boyd Malvo
Maryland
Aug 2005 – Jun 2006 · Extradited to Maryland for trial in Montgomery County; held during second trial
OR
Oregon
1994 – 1995 · Oregon National Guard · national guard
VA
Prince William, Virginia
Oct 24, 2002 – Nov 17, 2003 · Prince William County jail pending trial
Waverly, Virginia
Mar 2004 – Aug 2005 · Sussex I State Prison, Virginia's death row
Waverly, Virginia
Jun 2006 – Nov 10, 2009 · Returned to Sussex I State Prison death row pending execution
Jarratt, Virginia
Nov 09, 2009 – Nov 10, 2009 · Greensville Correctional Center, execution chamber cell; executed by lethal injection at 9:11 p.m. on November 10, 2009
WA
Fort Lewis, Washington
Nov 1985 – 1990 · United States Army, 15th Engineer Battalion, 9th Infantry Division; combat engineer, metalworker, water transport specialist; qualified as expert marksman with M-16 · army
Fort Lewis, Washington
1993 – Apr 1994 · Returned to Fort Lewis; honorably discharged April 1994 as sergeant · army
Tacoma, Washington
1994 – 2002 · Settled in Tacoma with family after Army discharge; lived for approximately 4-5 years according to neighbors; worked odd jobs
Tacoma, Washington
1997 – 1997 · Started and abandoned karate school; partner Felix Strozier reported Muhammad was bitter about life and discussed Islamic beliefs
Virginia, Washington
Oct 02, 2002 – Oct 22, 2002 · Maryland · Mobile sniper operations; used 1990 blue Chevrolet Caprice with trunk modified for shooting position
Known Vehicles
Vehicles and approximate dates of ownership or use, as reported in the cited records. A photo next to a vehicle is the vehicle itself as published.
1990 blue Chevrolet Caprice – Four-door sedan, dark blue, registered to Muhammad with New Jersey license plate NDA-21Z; modified with hole in trunk for shooter to lie inside and fire rifle without being seen
approx. 2002 – Oct 24, 2002
Co-owned with Nathaniel Osbourne; used in all Beltway sniper attacks; found with Bushmaster XM-15 .223 rifle, rifle scope, tripod, laptop computer stolen from victim, digital voice recorder with extortion demands, and other evidence
Timeline
Dec 31, 1960
John Allen Muhammad born as John Allen Williams in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1963
Muhammad's mother Eva Ferris dies of breast cancer when he is 3 years old; he is raised by grandfather and aunts.
1978
Muhammad graduates from Scotlandville High School.
Aug 1978
Muhammad enlists in Louisiana Army National Guard as combat engineer.
1982
Muhammad marries first wife Carol and has one son.
Aug 1982
Muhammad court-martialed in Louisiana National Guard for disobeying orders; fined $100 and demoted.
Aug 1983
Muhammad court-martialed in Louisiana National Guard for striking non-commissioned officer in head; fined $100 and threatened with 22 days in solitary.
1985
Muhammad released from Louisiana National Guard and divorces first wife Carol; converts to Islam and changes name from Williams to Muhammad.
1985
Muhammad assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington as combat engineer in 15th Engineer Battalion.
Nov 06, 1985
Muhammad enlists in United States Army; trained as mechanic, truck driver, and metalworker.
1988
Muhammad marries second wife Mildred and has three children.
1990
Muhammad serves in Persian Gulf War with 84th Engineer Company; receives Kuwait Liberation Medal.
1994
Muhammad arrested twice for driving with suspended license in Washington state.
1994
Muhammad serves in Oregon National Guard until 1995.
Apr 26, 1994
Muhammad honorably discharged from Army as sergeant; settles in Tacoma, Washington with family.
1997
Muhammad starts karate school in Tacoma with partner Felix Strozier but later abandons it.
1999
Muhammad meets Lee Boyd Malvo, then 14 years old.
Sep 09, 1999
Muhammad and second wife Mildred legally separated.
Dec 1999
Mildred files for divorce from Muhammad.
Feb 11, 2000
Mildred files for Temporary Restraining Order against Muhammad.
Mar 27, 2000
Muhammad abducts his three children with Mildred and takes them to Antigua.
Apr 17, 2000
Mildred receives permanent restraining order against Muhammad.
Feb 16, 2002
Muhammad and Malvo's crime spree begins with shooting of Keenya Cook, 21, at her aunt's home in Tacoma, Washington; ballistically linked to later Beltway attacks.
Mar 19, 2002
Jerry Taylor, 60, shot at golf course in Tucson, Arizona; Muhammad's sister lived nearby; later linked to Muhammad and Malvo.
Aug 01, 2002
John Gaeta, 51, shot in neck at parking lot in Hammond, Louisiana after Malvo slashes his tire; he survives.
Sep 05, 2002
Paul LaRuffa, 55-year-old pizzeria owner, shot six times at close range in Clinton, Maryland while locking up restaurant; survives; laptop found in Muhammad's car.
Sep 14, 2002
Rupinder Oberoi, 22, shot in back outside liquor store in Silver Spring, Maryland; survives; later officially linked to Muhammad and Malvo.
Sep 15, 2002
Muhammad Rashid shot while closing Three Roads Liquors in Brandywine, Maryland.
Sep 21, 2002
Claudine Parker, 52, shot in chest during robbery at liquor store in Montgomery, Alabama and killed; coworker Kellie Adams, 24, wounded in neck but survives; fingerprint evidence links Malvo to crime, enabling identification of both as Beltway sniper suspects.
Sep 23, 2002
Hong Im Ballenger, 45, shot in head and killed at beauty supply shop in Baton Rouge, Louisiana during robbery; ballistically linked to Bushmaster rifle used in Beltway attacks.
Sep 26, 2002
Wright Williams wounded at grocery store in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Oct 02, 2002
At 5:20 p.m., shot fired through window of Michael's Craft Store in Aspen Hill, Maryland; no one hit. At 6:02 p.m., James D. Martin, 55, killed in parking lot of Shoppers Food Warehouse in Wheaton, Maryland; first victim of Beltway three-week spree.
Oct 03, 2002
Four people killed in Montgomery County, Maryland: James Buchanan, 39, at 7:41 a.m. while cutting grass; Premkumar Walekar, 54, at 8:12 a.m. at gas station; Sarah Ramos, 34, at 8:37 a.m. outside post office; Lori Ann Lewis-Rivera, 25, at 9:58 a.m. vacuuming van at gas station.
Oct 03, 2002
Pascal Charlot, 72, shot and killed at 9:15 a.m. while standing on street in Washington, D.C.
Oct 04, 2002
Female, age 33, wounded at 2:30 p.m. in Michael's parking lot in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Oct 07, 2002
Iran Brown, 13, wounded at 8:09 a.m. as he is dropped off at school in Bowie, Maryland.
Oct 08, 2002
Baltimore police encounter Muhammad sleeping in blue Chevrolet Caprice during early morning traffic stop; background check shows no outstanding warrants and he is allowed to proceed.
Oct 09, 2002
Dean Harold Meyers, 53-year-old Vietnam veteran, shot in head at 8:15 p.m. while pumping gas at Sunoco station in Manassas, Virginia; victim for which Muhammad is ultimately tried and convicted in Virginia.
Oct 11, 2002
Kenneth Bridges, 53, wounded at 9:30 a.m. while pumping gas at Exxon station in Massaponax, Virginia.
Oct 14, 2002
Linda Franklin, 47, FBI analyst, killed at 9:15 p.m. outside Home Depot in Falls Church, Virginia.
Oct 17, 2002
Caller claiming to be sniper phones Montgomery County Police and Catholic priest; confesses to robberies and killings in Alabama and provides code phrase 'Call Me God'; leads to identification of Muhammad and Malvo as suspects.
Oct 19, 2002
Male, age 37, wounded at 8:00 a.m. while leaving Ponderosa Steakhouse in Ashland, Virginia.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report · Britannica ·
Beltway sniper attacks“Beltway sniper attacks, shooting spree in the Washington, D.C., area that killed 10 people and injured 3 over a three-week period in October 2002”
Other · Wikipedia ·
D.C. sniper attacks“The D.C. sniper attacks were a series of coordinated shootings that occurred over three weeks in October 2002”
Law enforcement release · Federal Bureau of Investigation ·
Beltway (D.C.) Snipers“John Allen Muhammed and Lee Boyd Malvo used a hole in the trunk of their Chevy Caprice to shoot 10 victims”
Other · Wikipedia ·
John Allen Muhammad“Born: John Allen Williams December 31, 1960 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. Died: November 10, 2009 (aged 48) Greensville Correctional Center, Virginia, U.S.”
News report · NPR ·
Convicted Sniper John Allen Muhammad To Be Executed at 9 P.M.“In total, Muhammad and his teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, fatally shot 13 people in the Washington, D.C., area in the Fall of 2002”
News report · CNN ·
Sniper John Allen Muhammad executed“Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad was executed Tuesday by lethal injection, a Virginia prisons spokesman said”
Law enforcement release · Federal Bureau of Investigation ·
FBI — The Beltway Snipers, Pt. 2“The following morning, our fingerprint database produced a match—a magazine dropped at the crime scene bore the fingerprints of Lee Boyd Malvo from a previous arrest in Washington State”
Court record · Maryland Court of Special Appeals ·
Muhammad v. State (2007)“After a month-long trial in May of 2006, a Montgomery County jury convicted the appellant, John Allen Muhammad, of six counts of first-degree murder”
Other government record · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Muhammad, John Allen - 2005“October 24, 2002: Police arrest John Allen Muhammad and accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo while they are sleeping at a rest stop in Frederick County, MD”
News report · Washington Post ·
Muhammad Is Moved to Death Row“Convicted sniper John Allen Muhammad was moved from the Prince William County jail to a solitary cell on Virginia's death row early yesterday”
News report · History.com ·
Washington, D.C. sniper John Muhammad convicted“On November 17, 2003, ex-soldier John Muhammad is found guilty of one of a series of sniper shootings that terrorized the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area”
Law enforcement release · Department of Justice ·
Sniper Prosecution“I have instructed the U.S. Marshals Service to transfer custody of John Allen Muhammad to Prince William County, Virginia, where he has been indicted for capital murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and using a firearm in the commission of murder”
News report · Seattle Times ·
John Allen Muhammad: How decorated Gulf War veteran became subject of manhunt“He was assigned to the 15th Engineer Battalion at the Fort Lewis Army base south of Tacoma as a combat engineer”
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