Police find 'sniper message'

[HeXp£Øi±]

Police say they received a message at the scene
Police believe the sniper who has killed nine people in the Washington area may have left them a message at the scene of shooting on Saturday, reports say. Police sources told American journalists they think it was the sniper who left them a message with a number at a restaurant in Ashland, where a man was shot and seriously wounded.

In a cryptic statement, the police chief investigating the sniper attacks, Charles Moose, appealed for the person who left the message to call the police.

Saturday's attack has still not been conclusively linked to the sniper attacks - but police said they were working on the assumption that the man was a victim of the sniper who has spread panic in the states of Virginia, Maryland and the capital itself. strained-looking Chief Moose asked the media to carry his appeal to the mystery person "clearly and carry it often".

He refused to take questions from reporters and police spokeswoman Joyce Utter, interviewed directly afterwards, gave no new details.

It is not known how the message was left.

"To the person who left the message, it should make complete sense. That is the only person Chief Moose wants to talk to," officer Utter said.

Earlier in the inquiry, police condemned the media for reporting leaked information about a message possibly left by the sniper.

Near a Maryland school were a boy was shot and wounded on 7 October a tarot card was reportedly found with the words: "Dear Policeman, I am God."

Single bullet

The unidentified victim of Saturday's attack is critically ill in hospital but expected to survive. He was hit by a single shot to the abdomen as he left the Ponderosa diner with his wife in the town of Ashland, Hanover County, 70 miles (110 kilometres) south of Washington.

Surgeons were only able to remove the bullet from his body late on Sunday - it has been sent for tests.

So far all the attacks positively linked to the sniper have involved a single bullet from a high-powered rifle.

Secret service agents and a sniper task force rushed to the area after the latest shooting and nearby highways were sealed off as police checked vehicles all the way to the Washington area. If confirmed, the shooting will be the sniper's 12th attack since 2 October.

Local media reports say officers are again looking for a white van with a ladder rack - similar alerts were issued after several of the sniper shootings.

The sniper last struck on Monday, when he killed a 47-year-old woman in the car park of a DIY shop in Virginia.

The victims have all apparently been picked at random in Virginia, the neighbouring state of Maryland and Washington DC, some of them picked off as they were filling their cars at petrol stations.

Such is the terror the sniper attacks have inspired, that some drivers are now reportedly paying $25 a time to have their cars refuelled for them.

If Saturday's attack is definitively linked to the sniper, it will be the first such attack on a weekend and the furthest yet from the US capital.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2345067.stm

[freako104]

he left a few others after that one. apparently there was one at the restaurant in VA and there was one close to the bus on a tree where the guy was killed yesterday morning.

[freako104]

forgot to add it had a disturbing message saying the children arent safe at anytime anywhere.

[greenfreak]

The Baltimore Sun reported Wednesday that investigators found a letter near the scene of Tuesday's shooting of bus driver Conrad Johnson in Silver Spring, Maryland. The newspaper said the letter made similar demands to those contained in a letter found near the scene of Saturday's shooting in Ashland, Virginia.

Moose, in his message to the sniper, said authorities had "researched the option you stated and found it is not possible electronically to comply in the manner that you requested" -- a reference, perhaps, to the electronic transfer of $10 million that sources say the sniper demanded in the letter found near the site of the Virginia shooting.

Not negotiating with this guy?? Wow. That's bold, when he's threatening children. We don't know for sure what his demands are but still. I'd be freaking out if I was a parent down there right now.

[freako104]

actully schools are saying kids dont have to go and its excused today. scary. and to me its not just kids who we should be concerened with. its everyone. if he can kill these kids whos to say he wont kill anyone.

[Gato_Solo]

Even if they pay the guy, there's no guarantee he won't just keep on killing people. Also, at the rate the nut-cases are calling in, there's no way to get any good information on the guy. They ought to lock up the nut-cases, and make a public fuss about it to discourage other false reports...just like they did the first guy. Better yet...just take them, including the first guy, and execute them on the spot. Don't tell me that will discourage anyone from calling in, either, because I believe that most people actually want to do the right thing.

Hey. I've another idea...Instead of giving this sicko 10 million, put that into a reward for him...dead or alive. Give HIM something to think about...

[Gonz]

I listened to Sherifff Bullwinkle J Moose on the radio when he added that part of the note , the ps said, "your children aren't safe, Anytime, anywhere." Where's the terrorism task force, If this doeesn't qualify, what does.

[MitchSchaft]

You'd have to be a moron to "negotiate" with this guy.

[unclehobart]

How odd. I coulda sworn I posted a reply to this 15 min ago. It has gone POOF. Is the database getting buggaboo?

[greenfreak]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

You'd have to be a moron to "negotiate" with this guy.

He's already shown he doesn't hesitate to shoot anyone, any time, with no remorse. He hasn't hit any kids so far but I wouldn't put it past him. I'm sure the parents are going to be up in arms if he does go after kids, after hearing that the police can't (or won't?) negotiate.

Do you think negotiating is moronic as a rule or just with this guy?

[MitchSchaft]

He hasn't hit any kids so far

He shot a 13-year-old in the chest. That's a kid as far as I'm concerned.
Giving in and negotiating is not a good message to send to murderers of the future.

[Shadowfax]

No negotiating with terrorists and murderers. Ever.

[PT]

Nope, I say don't negotiate either. Number 1, it may not be him that's making the demands, but somone else using it as an opportunity. 2, if you do give him the money, he's still a psycho. He may move to Tahiti, but eventually the urge to kill will come back. I like the idea of a 10 million dollar bounty, dead or alive. That would make things interesting. I wonder how many dead bodies they'd get in the first 24 hours?

*Um, this is my husband, I'm sure he's the one that did it, can I have my check now?*

[greenfreak]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

He shot a 13-year-old in the chest. That's a kid as far as I'm concerned.

I agree, I didn't know he shot a 13 year old, ok?

[freako104]

i just got out of my criminal justice class and my saying was similar to gato. just cause we give him the demands doesnt mean hell stop. hell its reinforcing what he did so its more reason for him to do it. as shadowfax said no negotiations with sick fucks like terrorists. ever. greenfreak said

He hasn't hit any kids so far

you have somewhat of a point as the kid did survive however he did shoot the kid. keep that in mind. as i said earlier we need to worry about everyone. if hes callous enough to kill a kid whos to say he wont kill anyone. another problem with the negotiations that i forgot to add was this: it may create copycats who see him get the money want the money and will do the same.

[Gonz]

Negotiate with one & have 1000 snipers running loose. KIll one sniper & they all shut up for awhile. Negotiations bad

[MitchSchaft]

But it's for the children!!!

[Gonz]

Thats right it is for the children. One dead sniper, for the children

[MitchSchaft]

Just one?

[Gonz]

if we have one sniper, dead, now, it'll mean the rest can quit while they're ahead.

[greenfreak]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

But it's for the children!!!

[Gato_Solo]

Originally Posted by Gonz

I listened to Sherifff Bullwinkle J Moose on the radio when he added that part of the note , the ps said, "your children aren't safe, Anytime, anywhere." Where's the terrorism task force, If this doeesn't qualify, what does.

And all the time you thought 'Bullwinkle' was negotiating, he had those 2 men on a watch list. Now that they're caught, don't you think that comment should be changed?

[greenfreak]

Washington radio station WTOP reported that a rifle, a scope and a tripod had been recovered from their vehicle.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/South/10/...ngs/index.html

[Ardsgaine]

Assuming that this guy is the sniper, whether he gets the death penalty or not will probably depend on where they try him. I doubt seriously that DC has the death penalty. Not sure about Maryland or Virginia. If they extradict him to Alabama for the shooting in Montgomery, he's toast.

[freako104]

md does. its only been used twice but we do have it here. i think dc and va do too but im not sure. my understanding is that he can and probly will be tried in all three states. or something to that extent.

[unclehobart]

He crossed state lines within the comission of the crime and tried to extort monies from the government. Hes going to land in federal court. Theyre going to execute him within... hmm... 5 years. How long did it take with McVeigh?

[PT]

Under a year, but McVeigh wanted to die.

[unclehobart]

Thats no matter in the appeals process. If you want to die and skip appeals, the court appointed lawyers file it on your behalf. The argument runs something along the lines of: anyone who wants to die is proof enough that they are crazy and cant be left with the burden of the legal appeals process in their hands.

[freako104]

hey unc i thought murder was a local charge so youd be litigated by the state? so even tho he crossed state boundries wouldnt he be taken by the state not the feds? and you can appeal the death penalty. that does matter i think. they may take it to consideration. or if he can prove that they did some kind of illegal activity then he can appeal it and it may or may not go through. and dont forget plea bargaining.

[unclehobart]

His lawyers will probably go for local jurisdictions, but I feel that all of the crimes will be tied together as a single multistate act under fed jurisdiction because of the extortion attempt. Its fileable under the broad umbrella of a conspiracy.

[A.B.Normal]

He was wanted on Federal Warrant for Firearms violation,could this mean he was using a stolen weapon from his army days?and would this put it in federal jurisdiction

[MitchSchaft]

I didn't know the Army uses Bushmaster Ar-15's...
And a firearms vilation could be ANYTHING.
Those violations are federal terrritory. I don't know about the snipings. May be since they spanned over a couple of states.

[MitchSchaft]

I just heard that dude was dishonorably discharged from the army. That's probably what the weapons violation is. You lose your "right" to possess firearms with that type of discharge.

[freako104]

can you get any kind of weaponry with that? or is the limit only to firearms. he did kill someone on federal property too didnt he? thatll come into play.they did span a couple of states. here in md,va.dc(dc is a district all its own for those who may not know), and Ga was where he supposedly killed someone and took his credit card which was the account he wanted the $10 million to.

[unclehobart]

Originally Posted by MitchSchaft

I just heard that dude was dishonorably discharged from the army. That's probably what the weapons violation is. You lose your "right" to possess firearms with that type of discharge.

I read that he failed show for duty one day and then punched his sgt.

[MitchSchaft]

He had a restraining order against him, too, that was issued in 2000. You're not allowed to possess firearms then either. Gun laws at it's best.

[Gonz]

Here may lie the real message the sniper was trying to convey-

Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan acknowledged Saturday that suspected sniper John Allen Muhammad is a member of the religious group.

Choke on the rest of it

I would have prefered that they shot the snipers instead of arresting them.

[MitchSchaft]

[Gonz]

STOP USING THE NICEY NICE DAD POSE PICTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

WHat happened to the mugshot?