A judge has ruled that 17-year-old sniper suspect Mr John Malvo will be tried as an adult and face charges carrying the death penalty for his alleged role in Washington-area shootings.
Judge Charles Maxfield of Fairfax County Juvenile Court in Virginia told a preliminary hearing last night there was sufficient cause to charge Malvo with premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism.
"It is true there are no eyewitnesses placing the defendant at any of these four crimes [discussed in the hearing], however the circumstantial evidence is quite strong," Judge Maxfield said.
Mr Malvo looked directly at witnesses as they spoke but said nothing himself and remained still.
Mr Malvo's defence attorney, Mr Michael Arif, said: "He is a 17-year-old kid and we're not happy it is being certified as a death case".
Malvo, also known as Lee Boyd Malvo, and his 42-year-old traveling companion, John Allen Muhammad, are accused of killing 10 people and wounding three in and around the US capital in October, seemingly picking off victims at random with a high-powered rifle.
In Fairfax, Malvo is charged with capital murder in the October 14th shooting death of Linda Franklin, an FBI analyst killed outside a home improvement store.
He is charged under Virginia's new anti-terrorism law, which provides for a possible death penalty for anyone who acted to intimidate the government or the general population.