Federal Judge Tosses Out Life Sentences For DC Sniper Lee Boyd Malvo
Lee Boyd Malvo, infamously known as the Beltway Sniper after a string of random shootings he committed as a teen at the behest of his stepfather in 2002, has had 4 of his 10 life sentences tossed out by a Federal Judge.
According to Daily Mail, the sentences were retroactively declared unconstitutional in the state of Virginia, due to a 2012 ruling that shut down mandatory life sentences without the possibility for parole for juveniles. Malvo was only 17 at the time of his trial.
If you’ll recall, Malvo and his stepfather John Allen Muhammad used a sniper rifle to shoot and kill strangers at random in the DC/MD/VA area over the course of three weeks in 2002. Malvo was coerced into committing the string of random murders by Muhammad, who he later claimed had sexually abused him for years leading up to the shootings.
The ruling entitles him to new sentencing in the case, though it’s very possible he’ll still be given life sentences.
