Muhammads self-defense
The week's news at a glance.
Virginia Beach
The trial of alleged Washington-area sniper John Allen Muhammad began with a surprise twist this week when the judge ruled that Muhammad could serve as his own lawyer. In a rambling opening statement, Muhammad said the state’s case against him was based on a theory, not facts, and that he “had nothing to do with these crimes.” Muhammad faces the death penalty for the slaying of 53-year-old Dean Harold Meyers, the seventh victim in a three-week shooting spree last year that left 10 people dead and mesmerized the nation. “There’s three truths: The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth,” Muhammad told the jury. “I always thought there was just one truth. Jesus said, ‘Ye shall know the truth.’”
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