Virginia

Resentencing for Lee Malvo postponed in Maryland after Virginia says he can't attend in person

Published

1 year ago

September 25, 2024

Resentencing for Lee Malvo postponed in Maryland after Virginia says he can't attend in person

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — A Maryland judge on Wednesday indefinitely postponed a resentencing hearing for convicted sniper Lee Boyd Malvo, after Virginia rejected a request to temporarily let him out of prison to attend a court session in Maryland.

Malvo and his partner, John Allen Muhammad, shot and killed 10 people and wounded three others over a three-week span in October 2002 that terrorized the Washington, D.C., area. Multiple other victims were shot and killed across the country in the prior months as the duo made their way to the area around the nation’s capital from Washington state.

Malvo, who was 17 years old at the time of the shootings, was convicted of multiple counts of murder in Virginia and Maryland and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He has been serving his sentence in Virginia.

Muhammad, who was older than Malvo and was accused of manipulating him to to serve as a partner in the shootings, was executed in Virginia in 2009.

Since Malvo was initially sentenced, though, a series of Supreme Court rulings and changes in Maryland and Virginia law have severely limited or even abolished the ability to sentence minors to life in prison without parole.

In 2022, Maryland’s highest court ruled 4-3 that Malvo is entitled to a new sentencing hearing.

That hearing was scheduled to occur in December in Montgomery County, Maryland. But Malvo has insisted that he be allowed to attend that sentencing hearing in person, and his court-appointed lawyer argued that if isn’t allowed to do so, his guilty pleas in Maryland should be vacated and he should be given a new trial.

“He has a right to be here in person, and he’s not waiving it,” his lawyer, Michael Beach, said at Wednesday’s hearing.

Prosecutors said they made efforts to have Malvo transferred from a Virginia prison to attend a hearing, but those efforts were rejected.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s spokesman, Christian Martinez, confirmed after Wednesday’s hearing in a written statement that “(d)ue to his violent criminal history, Governor Youngkin’s position is that Mr. Malvo should complete his Virginia sentence before being transferred to Maryland for resentencing.”

With Malvo unavailable to attend in person, prosecutors said Malvo could either attend a hearing virtually or wait until he is released from custody in Virginia.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Sharon Burrell sided with prosecutors, She said that since Malvo insists on attending in person, and Virginia won’t release him, she had no choice but to indefinitely postpone the resentencing until he finishes serving his time in Virginia.

Malvo is serving a life sentence in Virginia, but is eligible for parole. A parole board rejected his most recent parole request in 2022.

Beach said after the hearing that he expects to pursue any appeal options available to him. He said during the proceedings that if the sentencing hearing is delayed for an extended period of time, he believes it raises due process issues that could require the Maryland charges against Malvo to be dismissed.

Malvo, who is 39, attended Wednesday’s hearing virtually, wearing a yellow prison uniform. He looked youthful, similar to his appearance at the time of his arrest.

Perhaps underscoring the difficulties of conducting a hearing over video, Wednesday’s hearing was delayed three times when the video hookup between the prison and courthouse disconnected.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said after the hearing that it’s too early to say what kind of prison term he would seek once Malvo is sentenced in Maryland. He said, though, that any prison term imposed on him in Maryland should be in addition to the time he served in Virginia, rather than giving Malvo credit for time served.

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Virginia

Northern Virginia security company helps evacuate nearly 4,000 amid Iran war

Published

6 hours ago

March 7, 2026

Press Room

Northern Virginia security company helps evacuate nearly 4,000 amid Iran war

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — As the war in Iran stretches toward a week, evacuations out of the region continue, including efforts coordinated by a Northern Virginia-based security company that has helped move nearly 4,000 people out of the Middle East.

Global Guardian has assisted people in evacuating at least 15 countries through a combination of charter and commercial flights, according to Colin O’Brien, the company’s deputy vice president of operations. Most of them are Americans, he said.

ALSO SEE | Middle East expert says uncertain future in Iran could be just as dangerous

“The primary objective is to get them out of the Middle East, to move them to places where they have freedom of movement, where there are pre-existing commercial airline options — so places like Western Europe, Turkey, Cairo, where I have major functioning international airports that have yet to be affected by this crisis,” O’Brien explained. “And then from there, we can take our time. We can get the right plane ticket, and we can send them home.”

Meanwhile, airports, including Dulles, are experiencing some flight cancellations and delays from the Middle East.

7News was at baggage claim as people returned to America, greeting loved ones with hugs.

One man who wished to remain anonymous spoke with 7News while waiting for his daughter and grandchildren to return from the Middle East, where his son-in-law is stationed in the military.

READ ALSO | Capitol Hill grapples with Iran strategy, war powers

He said he is grateful to have them home, but it’s bittersweet because his son-in-law is still over there amid the conflict.

A woman who arrived Thursday afternoon told 7News she’s grateful to be away from potential danger but feels sorry for those who can’t leave.

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Virginia

13News Now

Published

18 hours ago

March 6, 2026

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13News Now (WVEC) is made up of storytellers, innovators, content creators, and idea generators. We stand for passion. Passion for our people, passion in our product, and above all- passion in our community. We value honesty, accuracy, and solutions. We serve as the local ABC affiliate for Hampton Roads. We strive for interaction with our audience and are constantly working on our presentation so that you have the best experience when consuming our products. Whether on air, online, or on the go- we are everywhere you go. Digitally we lead the market by more than a million actions over our nearest competitor. Join the conversation with us, help us tell the Stories of Now.

About our parent company TEGNA- TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. With 46 television stations in 38 markets, TEGNA delivers relevant content and information to consumers across platforms.

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Virginia

Virginia Tech women overcome slow start to rally past Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament opener

Published

1 day ago

March 6, 2026

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Virginia Tech women overcome slow start to rally past Georgia Tech in ACC Tournament opener

DULUTH, Ga. (WDBJ/Hokie Sports) – Sixth-seeded Virginia Tech fought back from a 14-point deficit late in the first quarter, rallying for a 62-54 victory over No. 11 seed Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Tournament Thursday evening.

The Hokies, who move to 23-8 overall on the season, earned their first ACC Tournament victory in the Megan Duffy era. Tech moves on to the quarterfinal round for the first time since 2024.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Virginia Tech faced a four-point deficit until Leila Wells (7:15) stepped up for a three-pointer to keep the Hokies within reach early. Her triple would be Tech’s only field goal until the final 40 seconds of the opening quarter. Carleigh Wenzel provided a late spark for the Hokies, getting down the lane (0:40) and hitting a basket (0:18) in the final minute to stop the run, but Georgia Tech carried a 17–7 lead into the second quarter.

Playing inspired, the Hokies sprinted out of the break for five straight points with layups from Samyha Suffren (9:50) and Mackenzie Nelson (9:28), along with a make at the stripe from Wenzel, to close to 17-12 at the 8:12 mark. The momentum continued to swing in Tech’s favor as it ripped off 15 straight points, a run ignited by Suffren’s (7:44) fast-break lay-in and capped by a Carys Baker (1:33) triple to give the Hokies a 27-19 lead. Free throws closed out the half for both sides as Virginia Tech headed into the locker room with a 29-23 edge. The Hokies forced six turnovers in the second period, scoring 10 points off the Yellow Jackets’ miscues.

Both sides traded baskets to kick off the second half before Tech knocked down consecutive makes from beyond the arc, the first from Wells (8:31) and the second from Nelson (7:59), to stretch the advantage to double figures, 37-27. It remained a back-and-forth game until Baker’s free throws with 3:35 remaining in the period gave the Hokies their largest lead of the contest at 48-37. Georgia Tech closed out the frame scoring six unanswered as the margin narrowed to 50-46 in favor of Tech at the end of the third.

The Yellow Jackets’ run continued into the fourth quarter as the score moved to 50-48 at the 9:26 mark. Virginia Tech rattled off seven consecutive points, including a three-pointer from Wenzel (7:08), to push ahead by nine with 4:44 remaining, 57-48. Suffren pulled up for a jumper outside the paint with just over a minute left in the contest, but Georgia Tech finished with a layup at the buzzer as Virginia Tech closed out the 62-54 victory.

GAME NOTES

Virginia Tech won their first game as a six-seed in the ACC Tournament (1-0) and first against Georgia Tech (1-2) in program history
The Hokies have now won four of their last five opening contests in the conference tournament
Tech also earned their first ACC Tournament victory in the Megan Duffy era
Virginia Tech controlled the glass, 41-36
The Hokies held the Yellow Jackets to six points in the second quarter, matching the fewest by an opponent in a quarter this season (last versus Loyola MD on Nov. 9, 2025)
Guard Carleigh Wenzel paced Tech in scoring with 15 points for her 15th-straight game in double figures
Redshirt sophomore Mackenzie Nelson followed with a near double-double of 14 points and a career-high nine rebounds
Nelson also tallied six assists, two assists, one block, and committed zero turnovers
Guard Leila Wells put together eight points and a career-best six rebounds in 15 minutes of action
Samyha Suffren registered her career-best five assists

UP NEXT

Virginia Tech advances to the Quarterfinal Round of the 2026 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament Friday, March 6 against third-seeded North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. on ACC Network.

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