- Published: November 12, 2022
- Updated: November 12, 2022
- University / College: Swansea University
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 6
Lee Boyd Malvo: Victim of Brainwashing? Lee Boyd Malvo is infamously known as the teenaged accomplice of John Allen Muhammad of the Beltway sniper attacks. According to Malvo, they had planned to kill six people per day for a course of one month to terrorize America. This occurred in October 2002. He is now convicted along with Muhammad.
When they were being tried for their crime, Malvo’s lawyers treid to use the insanity plea, stating that Malvo is a victim of the Stockholm Syndrome. They had argued that Muhammad brainwashed Malvo by telling the teenager that the money that the US government will be giving them to stop the shootout was the money that they will use to form a Utopian community for black children.
However, the experts from the prosecution noted that even before Malvo started shooting random people, he had characteristics that would warrant a criminal mind, such as having antisocial behavior. They also noted that Malvo had sociopathic tendencies like killing animals and torturing them. They noted that Malvo would still become a criminal, brainwashing or not.
Therefore, I don’t think Malvo is a victim of brainwashing. He is a criminal.
Reference:
cnn. com ” Malvo: Muhammad made me a monster; Younger man cross-examined by former mentor in sniper trial”. CNN, Web. 2006. Retrieved July 26, 2012.
