# Malvo Guilty **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 18, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854 "2003-12-18T21:49:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/1 "2003-12-18T21:49:15Z")
The news crawl on the tube says that Lee Malvo as just found guilty of 2 counts of Capital Murder. Yeehaw!!! Flame away! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/2 "2003-12-18T22:57:51Z")
I don’t condone what he did but I do believe that he was not fully responsible for his actions. Putting him to death won’t bring anyone he killed back to life. ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/3 "2003-12-18T23:04:44Z")
And HOW exactly was he not “fully responsible” for his actions? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/4 "2003-12-18T23:11:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\* > Putting him to death won’t bring anyone he killed back to life. \*\* Nor will putting him in prison. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/5 "2003-12-18T23:22:23Z")
> [@](#): > > _CheekyMonkey613_ > And HOW exactly was he not “fully responsible” for his actions? He’s a seventeen-year-old _child_ who was influenced by an _adult_; that’s how. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/6 "2003-12-18T23:24:39Z")
Despite the legal definition of a child as anyone under 18, I don’t consider someone who is a few months short of that to really be a child and not responsible for his/her actions. I refuse to believe that Malvo had absolutely no idea that shooting people is wrong. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Bandanaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ab097/32.png) [@Bandanaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bandanaman)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/7 "2003-12-18T23:25:14Z")
When I was 17, I knew shooting people was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/8 "2003-12-19T00:18:02Z")
Based on what I have read (which I admit has not been extensive), I believe that Malvo was heavily influenced by Muhammed to the point of having his ability to tell right from wrong impaired. I am not saying he was “brainwashed” or what have you. I am saying that I believe his idea of moral and ethical behaviour was deeply warped by Muhammed. I’m sure I’m not explaining this to anyone’s satisfaction. Oh well. > [@](#): > > Nor will putting him in prison. Putting him and Muhammed in prison forever is less likely to make them into martyrs then putting them to death. And I make no secret, potential martyrdom or not, of my opposition to the death penalty under any circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/9 "2003-12-19T00:37:05Z")
> [@](#): > > _Bandanaman_ > > When I was 17, I knew shooting people was wrong. Good for you, but unless you’re seventeen now, I’m sure you realize that you believed and did alot of stupid and irresponsible things back then, and that you weren’t as rational and thoughtful as you are now. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/10 "2003-12-19T00:42:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*Good for you, but unless you’re seventeen now, I’m sure you realize that you believed and did alot of stupid and irresponsible things back then, and that you weren’t as rational and thoughtful as you are now. \*\* and when he’s 37, he’ll look back and realize he did irrational stuff when he was 27. People change, Big whoop. No one forced Malvo to kill except Malvo. Maybe if he was told it was a water pistol your argument would work… ---
**Author:** ![MaddyStrut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@MaddyStrut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaddyStrut)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/11 "2003-12-19T00:48:30Z")
I do believe that he was influenced by Mohammad and that he wanted to please the older man–however, that doesn’t mean Malvo didn’t understand what he was doing was wrong. When I was 17 I stole a watch so my friends would think I was cool. Sure, I had been desparate to fit in with this crowd for a long time and really wanted their approval. But I damn well new it was wrong! And when I got caught and faced the consequences–I knew it was my decision to do that stupid thing and my responsibility to pay the penalty. I understand that peer pressure and fitting in with a cool crowd is very different from being influenced by an adult you look up to. But, likewise, stealing a watch is a far cry from shooting several people! ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/12 "2003-12-19T00:51:20Z")
> [@](#): > > _Tars Tarkas_ > > and when he’s 37, he’ll look back and realize he did irrational stuff when he was 27. People change, Big whoop. No one forced Malvo to kill except Malvo. Maybe if he was told it was a water pistol your argument would work… Well, then either there’s an age line or there’s not. Should a six-year-old be put to death for killing someone his uncle told him to kill? If not, then what should the age line be? ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/13 "2003-12-19T00:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*I don’t condone what he did but I do believe that he was not fully responsible for his actions. > > Putting him to death won’t bring anyone he killed back to life. \*\* But it **guarantees** that he won’t snipe anyone else… ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/14 "2003-12-19T01:09:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*Well, then either there’s an age line or there’s not. Should a six-year-old be put to death for killing someone his uncle told him to kill? If not, then what should the age line be? \*\* under 15 it should be done in a case by case basis. 15 and older should know better. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/15 "2003-12-19T03:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\* Putting him and Muhammed in prison forever is less likely to make them into martyrs then putting them to death. And I make no secret, potential martyrdom or not, of my opposition to the death penalty under any circumstances. \*\* Fair enough. I was commenting on **Otto** ’s logic. His logic seemed (to me) to say that executing Malvo isn’t a valid punishment because doing so won’t bring his victims back to life. My counter to that is that if so, then putting him in prison is equally invalid. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/16 "2003-12-19T03:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*Good for you, but unless you’re seventeen now, I’m sure you realize that you believed and did alot of stupid and irresponsible things back then, and that you weren’t as rational and thoughtful as you are now. \*\* Of course I’m older and wiser now than I was when I was seventeen lo many, many moons ago. But by that logic, I shouldn’t be responsible for what I do now because I’ll be older and wiser in another 20 years. Sure he’ll be wiser in twenty years (if he makes it that far). But that still doesn’t mean that at seventeen he shouldn’t know that killing people is wrong. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/17 "2003-12-19T03:14:27Z")
Why are we worried about making these guys into martyrs? Who are they supposedly inspiring? No, putting that young man to death will not bring a single one of his victims back to life. But I think it would be justice for the amount of damage he has done. I did some terrible things as a result of peer pressure as a teen, but you’re damn right I knew they were wrong when I was doing them. I just didn’t care. And that is no defence. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/18 "2003-12-19T03:28:02Z")
As we say in Texas, fire that baby up. This post is not intended to reflect the opinions of all Texans, and the electric chair is actually no longer used in executions. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/19 "2003-12-19T03:35:29Z")
I prefer the faulty Florida chair- don’t kill somebody here, we’ve got the death penalty and our chair ain’t workin’ so well! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854/20 "2003-12-19T07:20:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*Well, then either there’s an age line or there’s not. Should a six-year-old be put to death for killing someone his uncle told him to kill? If not, then what should the age line be? \*\* How about we use 17 as the line?? Can you demonstrate that Malvo could not appreciate the consequences of his actions? Obviously, his defense team could not. He was plenty old enough to know that society looks down and shooting folks at random with a high powered rifle, and I’m confident he knew that said society would try to hunt him down and smite him for doing it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malvo-guilty/219854.md?page=2)