On the morning of October 3, 2002, Prem Kumar Walekar, a 54-year-old male taxi driver, was going about his daily routine, fueling his vehicle at a Mobil gas station in Aspen Hill, Maryland. In an instant, his life was tragically cut short, becoming another victim in a string of terrifying and seemingly random shootings that had gripped the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Originally from India, Mr.
Walekar was remembered by his loved ones as a quiet, funny, generous, and caring man who had worked hard to build a life in America and support his family. He was a retired sales representative who continued to drive his cab part-time with the goal of seeing his two children settled before he retired to a home he had purchased in India.
The investigation into Mr. Walekar's death was part of a massive, multi-agency effort to find the elusive sniper or snipers responsible for the series of killings. Ballistics evidence quickly linked his murder to several other recent shootings in the area. The reign of terror, which involved victims being shot while doing everyday tasks like pumping gas or shopping, created a climate of widespread fear and paranoia throughout the region.
The perpetrators were eventually identified as John Allen Muhammad, then 41, and his 17-year-old accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo. They were arrested on October 24, 2002, after a wide-scale manhunt. Their capture brought an end to the three weeks of fear that had paralyzed the community. Evidence found in their vehicle, a blue 1990 Chevrolet Caprice, included a Bushmaster. 223-caliber rifle that was ballistically matched to the murder of Mr. Walekar and numerous other victims.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, both John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were tried and convicted for their roles in the deadly shooting spree. In 2003, Muhammad was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death; he was executed by lethal injection in November 2009. Lee Boyd Malvo was also convicted and received multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole. During one of the trials in 2006, Malvo confessed to his and Muhammad's involvement in a total of 17 murders across the country.
