Author David Reichenbaugh will meet Sunday January 22 2023 with Ladies Eat and Read Book Club in Columbia Maryland. I am looking forward to this event and enjoy the conversation and challenging questions from book clubs. I also may read a chapter of my new Book The Sanquin Dugout that is near completion. The Sanquin Dugout is a Conrad Fuery Novel based on a true crime event.
BY MARQUIS WHO'S WHO MODERATORPOSTED ONJANUARY 6, 2023
Title: Analyst, Advisor
Company: United States Capitol Police
Location: Keedysville, Maryland, United States
David Reichenbaugh, Analyst and Advisor with the United States Capitol Police, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in criminal investigation.
A retired lieutenant and barrack commander with the Maryland State Police, Mr. Reichenbaugh currently employs his expertise in criminal investigation as an analyst and advisor with the United States Capitol Police. In this capacity, he reviews criminal reports and traffic reports for accuracy, ensuring that arrests are ready for court. He generates statistics, tracks them and reports them to superiors. In addition, Mr. Reichenbaugh looks for patterns in crime and offers his professional advice. For his accomplishments as a law enforcement officer, he was named Maryland State Police Trooper of the Year in 1986.
In preparation for his career, Mr. Reichenbaugh attended the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice with a minor in political science in 1980. Following this degree, he attended the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command’s University Traffic Institute. Alongside his primary endeavors, Mr. Reichenbaugh authored “In Pursuit: The Hunt for the Beltway Snipers” in 2018. He is a member of the Maryland Riders Association and the National Law Enforcement Museum. In his spare time, he enjoys hunting, fishing, baseball, writing, motorcycling, working with his bird dog and spending time with his family.
For more information, please visit:
https://worldwidehumanitarian.com/2022/12/20/david-reichenbaugh/
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David Reichenbaugh author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers began production today for a twenty year anniversary 12 part pod cast series for Law and Crime. Boasting over 3 Million viewers the Pod Cast which has yet to be titled will be broadcast sometime in October on the 20th anniversary of the Sniper case which was the most intense and largest man hunt in American Law Enforcement history. Reichenbaugh concluded the firt recorded interview of more than an hour with Host Tony Holt. This was the first of several interviews to be conducted in the coming weeks including a site visit to the Myersville Maryland rest area where the 23 day seige of terror was ended. Reichenbaugh’s book and memoir is being used as reference for this production. In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers is available on Amazon, Border and Indie Bound.
It is my honor to accept an invitation to come to the Apollo Memorial Library on October 23rd 2021 at 1 PM for a meet the author event..
I will be at the library to discuss my book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, talk about my next writing project, and discuss my journey from Maryland State Trooper to published author. It will also be my honor to sign books for you and answer any questions. I will have books available for anybody interested. I look forward to coming back to my home town and see old friends, and hopefully make some new ones.
Meet the Author In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers Apollo Memorial Library 219 Pennsylvania Ave. Apollo Pa. October 23rd 2021 at 1PM
Author David Reichenbaugh was the criminal intelligence operations commander for the Maryland State Police and the commanding officer at the scene during the Beltway snipers’ capture. In Pursuit: The Hunt for the Beltway Snipers is a memoir of one of the greatest manhunts in the Capitol Region. David discusses his experience and takes questions from the audience. Sponsored by the Friends of the Perry Hall Library. Registration closes one hour before the start of the program. A valid email address is needed at registration to send a Zoom link to the program 30 minutes before scheduled start.
https://bcpl.info/events-and-programs/list.html#!/188342
It is my honor to have been asked to conduct a webinar book event on October 21st 2020 at 7PM for the Perry Hall branch of the Baltimore County Public Library. I will discus my book IN PURSUIT THE HUNT FOR THE BELTEWAY SNIPERS. This will be a one hour event and those in attendance will have a chance to ask questions. This is a free event and all are welcome. However you must register by going to the Baltimore County Public Library web page and register for the webinar.
Author and retired Maryland State Police Lieutenant David Reichenbaugh will appear at Sky Stage Frederick Maryland on Wednesday evening at 7:30PM. Sky stage 59 s Carroll Street Frederick Maryland is an open air stage located in the heart of old Frederick Maryland. Reichenbaugh author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers will read the forward for his new book (unpublished) and a small segment of his latest novel Predator Among Us. It will also be his honor to introduce his grandson Ezaiha Belmont who will read for the first time publicly, 2 of his poems Boy in the Grass and Temptation to Solitude. Please feel free to stop by and enjoy readings from local authors and poets at this outdoor event. There is plenty of room for social distancing. Wear your mask and enjoy the talent.
It was my honor a couple of years ago to participate in a PBS and BBC documentary about the beltway sniper case. For my piece of this 8 part documentary, filming occurred on location at the Rest Area in Myersville Maryland where the snipers were captured. Filming took place in the summer several months before my book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers was released in October 2018. This documentary includes interviews of other Troopers, Detectives, and victims as they tell their stories about the most intense manhunt in American Law Enforcement History. The series will begin on June 2nd at 10PM on Vice TV.. If you don’t have this basic cable channel it can also be viewed through ROKU, Apple TV and Smart TV.
Dear David,
I hope this email finds you and your family safe and well at this unprecedented time. Thank you for keeping the faith on this project.
I know it has been a long while since we filmed with you as part of our documentary series on the 2002 Sniper case. It has taken a very, very long time to get to an air date but I am pleased to say the documentary will be shown next month.
In the time since completing the series, our original Network distribution partners have changed. This has come about as a result of a change in the Chief Programming Executive at PBS, which brought about a shift in programming direction. PBS is still distributing the project and it will air in the US, just on a different platform.
The new partners are VICE TV in the US and the BBC in the UK. The film will also be shown in other international territories.
The VICE TV air date is June 2nd at 10pm for eight consecutive weeks. They will begin running trailers for the series titled “I, Sniper” shortly. VICE TV can be found on basic cable and also viewed through ROKU, Apple TV and Smart TV. We are still waiting for confirmation on the BBC air date but it will be later this year.
The US and UK programs are largely the same but because of commercial breaks the VICE series will run for eight episodes whereas on the BBC it will be six episodes (with no commercial breaks). We would be very happy to share a link with you to the BBC version once the film has been shown on the BBC.
In the trailer you will hear Lee Malvo’s voice. We have used audio interviews with Lee Malvo throughout the series. I wanted to make you aware that he talks about his arrest in Episode 7&8. Feel free to reach out to any of your MSP colleges to let them know about this.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to collaborate with MSP. Thank you for your trust and patience.
With gratitude,
Mary-Jane Mitchell,
SERIES PRODUCER
My book In Purssuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, which details my part in this historic police investigation is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indie Bound.
The Author David Reichenbaugh MSP retired, posses with the director, Producer and part of the film crew for “I Sniper” in the Myersville Rest Area.
Author David Reichenbaugh, Author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers will travel on Saturday To Brighton Avondell Retirement Community at 630PM for a discussion and book signing.
It is his honor to be invited to go to Brighton located at 128 West Ring Factory Road, Bel Aire MD to discuss his book and his experience during the 23 days of terror in October 2002 when the Beltway Snipers were murdering at will in the Maryland Virginia, DC area. Reichenbaugh along with his team were able to run the snipers to ground in a rest area in Myersville Maryland. The author is expecting an interesting discussion with the residents. He will also have books available and will be happy to sign books.
Author David Reichenbaugh, author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, will travel to Harford County and appear at the Bel Air Library on Staurday October 26th 2019 at 1100AM. The author will discuss his book and his involvement in the Investigation and capture of the beltway snipers. The discussion will conclude with a book signing. Books will be offered by local Independent Book store Caprichos.
Please stop by in support of Harford County Public Library and join in on what promises to be a great discussion and book signing event.
The author and retired Maryland State Police Lieutenant is looking forward to seeing old friends and making some new ones. Although the terror of the beltway snipers was 17 years ago the case is very much still in the news. The US Supreme Court heard arguments this past week in Malvo’s sentencing appeal.
Join host Robert Mumby and co-host Leslie Greenly Smith with the Harford County Public Library this Friday, October 4 on “The Harford Edge”. In his book, “In Pursuit: the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers”, author David Reichenbaugh tells the true crime story of the two men who terrorized our region in October 2002. Reichenbaugh was the criminal intelligence operations commander for the Maryland State Police during the investigation & served as commanding officer at the scene when the snipers were captured. He is our guest this week and will also be featured at a “Meet the Author” event at the Bel Air Library on Saturday, October 26 11am-noon. Find “The Harford Edge” on the radio at WAMD 970am, and on the Web at www.khztv.com/wamd. The “Harford Edge” airs LIVE every Friday morning at 9:00 a.m., and features local news, plus in-depth interviews with leaders, innovators and artists from Harford County and beyond. It is rebroadcast every Saturday at 9:00 a.m., and is brought to you by the Harford County Public Library. So good you have to hear it again? Go here for podcasts of our previous shows: http://hcplonline.org/podcasts.php or http://libraryontheradio.org/
It is a real honor for me to appear on Live Radio to talk about my State Police Career, experiences, and talk about my book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers. We will discuss the book, how I went from Trooper to Published Author and wherever the conversation takes us. Tune in and listen. If you have any questions I believe I will be able to take some questions from listeners.
Reichenbaugh who remains active in Law enforcement writes from his home in Keedysville Maryland surrounded by his wife, and 8 grand children. He is currently working on his second novel a fictional tale based on a True Crime event in Frederick County Maryland.
Author, David Reichenbaugh, Lt. Retired, Maryland State Police will help open the new Myersville Maryland Branch of the Frederick County Public Library system on Saturday September 7th, 2019 at 2PM for a book event and book signing.
The author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, will return to Myersville 18 years after he, along with Troopers under his command brought the 23 day bloody rampage of the Beltway Snipers to an end. The Snipers who spent 23 days in October 2002 terrorizing the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia) by randomly shooting unsuspecting citizens who were going about their daily routines. Before Reichenbaugh and his team were able to track the snipers down to the rest area in Myersvlle Maryland, they had taken the lives of 10 citizens and wounded 4 more. Their arrest culminated the largest most intense man hunt in American Law Enforcement History. Coming a year removed from 911 the snipers brought the nations capitol and the surrounding area to a stand still with citizens fearing for their lives.
Reichenbaugh will give a presentation followed by a book signing at the brand new Public Library slated to open August 24th. This promises to be an emotional event for both the author and the local citizens who lived through the events only to wake that morning to their streets full of Police vehicles and the news that the 2 most wanted killers had been tracked down to their small western Maryland Town.
The author will answer any questions and looks forward to sharing his experience and hear from the citizens and share their emotions as they recall those deadly days in October 2002. The new Library is located on Harp Road in Myersville Maryland.
Author David Reichenbaugh author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, had the distinct honor to be invited and participate in this years As You Like it Conference hosted by Mechanicsburg Mystery Book Shop In Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania. The conference attracted more than 100 mystery readers where they were treated to hearing from, talking with and getting signed books from a whole host of authors such as NYT Best Selling Author John Gilstrap, TF O’Connor, Christine Trent Eileen McIntire, and award winning journalist and author Dick Belsky.
The guests had the opportunity to hear and participate in panel discussions with the authors as well as one on one speed reading sessions where the guests had a chance to speak one on one with each author and ask questions as well as obtained signed books.
Reichenbaugh had the pleasure to sit on a panel discussion that discussed the differences of writing true crime vs fiction.
He found this to be a great event and experience and he enjoyed talking with both readers and other authors getting their feed back on his book and the challenges of being a published author.
Meet the author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers On Saturday July 20th from 7 until 9 PM at Bethany Beach Books 99 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach Deleware.
Retired Maryland State Police Lieutenant David Reichenbugh will be there to meet you and sign a copy of his New Book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers. Meet the author and talk with the Trooper that led his team of investigators during the 23 days of terror in October 2002 as he along with 1000 other law enforcement officials from more than 20 law enforcement agencies tracked the Beltway Snipers to a rest Area in Myersville Maryland.
Read for the first time, the true story of of the largest and most intense man hunt in American Law Enforcement history as they tracked the snipers who for those 23 days in October randomly gunned down 10 citizens and wounded four more in the Washington, Maryland and Virginia area. Read about the fear, the concerns of law enforcement that they were powerless to stop the killers from continuing their rampage, and the determination to track the killers down and bring their blood lust to an appointment with justice.
The author, David Reichenbaugh will be there and will be honored to meet you and answer any questions you may have, and personalize In Pursuit, for you
It is an incredible honor to meet both current, and retired police officers as well as Vets and their families as I travel around the east coast doing book events for my new book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers. Here is one response that the author received from the wife of a retired Navy Man that also spent his career serving the great people of this amazing country. As a country we are truly blessed to have susch families that are willing to serve and potentially sacrifice their lives for all of us.
On Tuesday, April 30, 2019, 5:51:16 PM EDT, Cathy Baird <3nazarenes@comcast.net> wrote:
Dear Lieutenant Reichenbaugh,
It may be unwise to confess to a trooper that I’ve stolen a book from my husband but he gave me the means and opportunity when he left it on the coffee table unattended and I was motivated by the desire to read the book before it began its rotation among his “old men saving the world breakfast club” friends. Given that I had so many strikes against me, I decided to confess.
My husband and I were fortunate enough to get a signed copy of your book when we were at Barnes and Noble bookstore Saturday last. You gave us your business card and asked for feedback after reading the book.
I finished reading the book this morning and in a word…Wow!
No matter what I am reading (so take no offense please) my eyelids tend to get heavy after a few pages but as I traveled with you in in car 662 at 110 mile per hour on the way to the rest stop adrenaline brought them wide awake.
I well remember the days of the sniper shootings. I especially remember going out to dinner with my husband and son and having an uneasy feeling getting out of the car in the parking lot. My relief upon entering the building was short-lived when the hostess sat us at a booth directly against a large picture window facing the parking lot. I remember looking out at the lot and thinking that at any moment a bullet could come through the window and kill one of us. But just as you mentioned in your book, you can’t live in fear so I turned my attention to my meal and family knowing that the chances were remote. There was something insidious about this particular threat that made it hard to ignore though. The randomness and hiding in plain sight of it. In years since that evemt I’ve become a stage 3 cancer survivor and I would now compare the sniper shootings to cancer. Insidious.
Firstly, let me say thank you. Thank you for your tireless and selfless dedication in bringing about the capture of those snipers. Along with all the rest of the population, we breathed a sigh of relief when news broke of their capture. It was intriguing to read about the event from your perspective. One thing that didn’t surprise me was what appeared from your book to be a collective feeling of disdain for the media from law enforcement officials. I remember commenting on a few occasions how stupid I thought the reporters were being. I suppose, as you said, they do have a job to do but sensationalism seems to override common sense in their reporting. Not unlike a certain reporter not so long ago reporting during an imminent hurricane strike to the East Coast stating that if caught in the storm we would die and our children would die and everyone we knew.
Please also pass along my thanks to Jean. Being the wife of a career Navy man, I can appreciate the sacrifices she has had to make. Being the glue that held your family together made your successes possible and we all benefited from them. While John was often out to sea for 6 and 7 months at a time and I was not always permitted to know where he was located or headed to, I did at least have the satisfaction of knowing he had a full deck of sailors onboard and possible weapons of mass destruction that he could neither confirm nor deny onboard. I can’t imagine how Jean dealt with knowing you were on your own at times and the bad guys were better armed.
Lastly, thank you not only for capturing the snipers but for all your years of service and the many ways you served to protect and aid. You touched on some of it in your book but I’m sure there are volumes to add during your years of service. I’m in awe.
God Bless you and your family,
Cathy Baird
Retired State Police Lt. speaks to an audience of about 100 people at the recently held Annapolis Book Festival about his new book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers.
The author, Retired State Police Lt. David Reichenbaugh appeared on Jim Harold’s Pod Cast, Crime Scene. The author discussed his involvement in the largest and most intense man hunt in American Law Enforcement History and his new book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers. Crime Scene has been down loaded and has an audience of 40 million listeners. Click on the link below to hear the latest episode of Crime Scene with Jim Harold and David Reichenbaugh author of In Pursuit
https://jimharold.com/the-hunt-for-the-beltway-snipers-crime-scene-177/
Retired Maryland State Police Lt. David Reichenbaugh, author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers that chronicles the most intense and largest manhunt in American Law Enforcement history, will make an appearance at Barnes & Noble in the Francis Scott Key Mall 5500 Buckeystown Pike on Saturday April 13th between 11AM and 4PM where he will be there to answer any questions about his involvement in the capture of the Beltway Snipers and to sign books. He will be among several other local authors for this all day event. On Sunday He will tape a Pod cast with Ann Dark, Tracey Stormy and Kathy Knight for an upcoming pod cast on It was a Dark and Stormy Book Club a pod cast for mystery lovers. This coming off a week where he taped a 2 hour interview for I-Heart Media/Radio for a production to be aired in a couple of months. Last Saturday he did a presentation for over 10 people at the Annapolis Book Festival. His panel was monitored by WBAL Chief Investigative Reporter Jayne Miller. In attendance was New York Times Best selling author Peggy Rowe. He appeared with other NYT best selling authors such as Ken Starr who called him a true American Hero and Evin Thomas, Kevin Cowherd, Isakoff and other best selling and noted authors. Stop by Barnes & Noble in Frederick Maryland this Saturday and meet the author.
Annapolis Book Festival on stage with WBAL’s Chief Investigative Reporter Jayne Miller
Fans line up to meet the author and get In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers signed.
The author of In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, David Reichenbaugh, traveled to the studios of I-Heart Media and Radio to record a 2 hour interview for an upcoming I-heart media with an expected nation wide release over I-heart Radio stations production about the beltway sniper case. The production which will take a couple of months to produce and will be part of a 15 part series about the most intense and largest man hunt in American Law Enforcement History. During the studio session Reichenbaugh discussed his role in the investigation and capture of the two cold blooded killers that terrorized the nation for 23 days in October 2002. This will assist the retired State Police Lt with national exposure for his new book which for the first time details the police investigation and the capture of the killers in the Myersville Maryland rest area. Reichenbaugh travels to Annapolis Maryland on Saturday for an appearance at the Annapolis Book Festival with WBAL’s Investigative Reporter Jayne Miller. Reichenbaugh will appear at the festival with other noted authors such as Ken Starr, Contempt a Memoir of the Clinton Investigation, Evin Thomas, First Sandra Day O’Connor, Kevin Cowherd, When the Crowd Didn’t Roar, and other well established and accomplished authors.
Author David Reichenbaugh in the recording studios of I-Heart Radio
Author David Reichenbaugh will appear at the Annapolis Book Festival this Saturday, April 6th at 2:00PM to present his new book In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers. The author and retired Maryland State Police Lieutenaant will be at the Key School 534 Hillsmere Drive Annapolis Maryland at 2:00PM at Room 2 Barn Commons where he will give a presentation monitored by WBAL’s Chief Investigative Reporter Jayne Miller.
Jayne Miller covered the sniper case and the subsequent trials and this discussion which is open to the public promises to be very detailed and informative. The book festival will have In Pursuit the Hunt for the Beltway Snipers available for sale and the author will be happy to sign books for those that purchase his book at the vent.
The sniper case terrorized the Washington, Maryland and Virginia area for 23 days in October 2002. During the 23 days John Muhammad and Lee Malvo were responsible for murdering 10 people and wounding 4 more. The shootings were completely random and terrorized the Capitol area bringing normal life to a standstill. The investigation was the largest and most intense manhunt in American law enforcement history. Come and hear the true story as never been told before how the investigation was conducted and how the killers were tracked down and cornered in a rest area in Myersville Maryland. Reichenbaugh takes the reader thru the investigation including the intense emotions of working the case that investigators dealt with while working around the clock to track down the killers and bring them to justice.
In addition to Reichenbaugh the Book festival will have other noted authors at the event to present their books including Michael Isikoff, Ken Starr, Evan Thomas, and Kevin Cowherd.
For a full schedule of the Annapolis Book Festival at the Key School check out their web page www.keyschool.org/annapolisbookfestival
March 21, 2019 David Reichenbaugh
In the Chicago Tribune this week, columnist Dahleen Glanton questions “the injustice of imposing a sentence of life without parole on someone as young as 17” while acknowledging Lee Boyd Malvo did “awful things… as a teenager.” Having lived through the 23 days of terror on the front lines of the investigation as detailed in my book, In Pursuit: The Hunt for the Beltway Snipers, which is the inside story of how the investigation was conducted and two of the most ruthless killers in American history were tracked down, I feel more than qualified to answer that question.
I understand where the writer is coming from, but it is a piece written by somebody who most likely has rarely left the confines of a nice office in Chicago and certainly has no clue how the real public back here in our area felt during the sniper case. Had the writer been a part of those horrific days and weeks in and around Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, I do not believe she would come off as sympathetic to Malvo, the sole remaining killer who, along with John Allen Muhammad, senselessly and without remorse took the lives of 10 random citizens and shot four more who somehow managed to survive their grievous wounds.
It is easy for the author to argue that a 17-year-old is a victim of social injustice, based on the perceived belief that Malvo was completely under the influence of John and was only pulling the trigger under the influence of his mentor. Who wants to truly believe that a person under the age of 18 can be so evil as to be responsible for the heinous acts he committed? I get that; I really do. It is not an easy thing to come to grips with the fact that there are people out there under the age of 18 who do not respect life and have no problem taking it. One can argue that Lee Malvo was completely under the influence of John Muhammad. At least that the politically correct spin that Malvo tried to place on his actions and what, fundamentally, maybe we all want to believe.
I must ask a question in return. Is it a social injustice to take a 17-year-old off the streets for the remainder of his natural life who had the ability, arrogance, and cold-bloodedness to look down the barrel of a rifle thru optic sights from a concealed position, place the red dot on the chest of a living, breathing human being who has a family, then pull the trigger — thus ending that human being’s life and destroying everything that they are, everything that they ever would be, and robbing their loved ones of a lifetime of influence, love, understanding, companionship, joys and heartaches that go along with a life well lived? All that human being did was have the audacity to find themselves on the wrong end of the barrel while simply going about daily life. What did those victims ever do to Lee Malvo? Did they deserve to die for any injustices that either may have or may not have been done to Lee Malvo? This was not an act committed in the moment of passion, or a momentary stupid accident committed by a kid who should have known better and made a terrible, horrible mistake. Malvo even testified against Muhammad that their plot included a domestic terror element, with a goal to “set up a camp to train children how to terrorize cities.” These were the acts of a heartless, cold-blooded killer who knew what he was doing and repeated that act 14 times in the DMV. In their full crime spree, the death toll was 17.
However, I am willing to bet the writer has never had to look into the crushed faces of the loved ones who had a family member, co-worker or friend gunned down in such a senseless act of pure evil. The writer has never seen the sheer terror in the faces of citizens just trying to put gas in their cars or the faces of terror-stricken parents shielding their children using their own bodies while they rushed their kids from cars pulled up onto sidewalks as close to the school doors as they could physically get in fear their child would be gunned down for no reason other than pure bad luck. That writer never faced a sociopath armed with a high-powered rifle that would penetrate our bulletproof vests like a knife through hot butter, knowing that you are outgunned, and knowing that the only thing between them killing again and putting a stop to their rampage was you and a couple of other troopers who understood it is their duty, responsibility and obligation to not let them kill again and be willing to lay their lives down if necessary in order to prevent another killing. All while knowing we had wives, husbands, sons, and daughters at home waiting for us to hopefully come home still wearing our shields and not carried home on top of it.
That writer has never had to make a split-second decision on life or death in order to protect the public we are sworn and dedicated to protect only to become scrutinized by a polarized media and public that, properly so, questions law enforcement’s training and decision-making abilities. That writer has never had to stand and protect that thin blue line that is the difference between this great country and a third-world state where the streets are permitted to be ruled by chaos. That writer has never looked into the soulless eyes of a stone-cold killer who, if given the chance, would have killed me and every trooper in that rest area at the point of arrest and not have thought twice about it. The writer never faced a killer who, with only one bullet left for that rifle, would have damn well used that bullet to kill a child at Myersville Elementary School the next morning before disappearing into the masses only to move on, resupply ammo and begin killing again.
Yes, it is easy for that writer from the safety of an office to beg for forgiveness for a 17-year-old killer whose DNA was the only DNA ever found on the rifle. Malvo was the trigger man who knew what he was doing, and has no regard for human life and never will. There is no amount of time behind bars that will be enough to punish him for what he has done and the crushed lives of those left behind — and the universal loss of that sense of safety and security during those 23 days in October 2002. None of us will ever be the same without wondering if there is another Lee Malvo out there waiting for the chance to take another kill shot. Should life without the possibility of parole be a standard penalty for somebody under the age of 18? No, I do not believe it should be. However, in this specific case, that sentence is the only sentence appropriate for a stone-cold killer who must never be permitted to walk the streets again. Malvo forfeited that right the moment he looked down the barrel and pulled the trigger, hidden in a concealed position like the true coward he is.
Read David Reichenbaugh’s Homeland Security Today series on the how the Beltway Snipers were tracked and caught: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four.
The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by Homeland Security Today, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints in support of securing our homeland. To submit a piece for consideration, email HSTodayMag@gtscoalition.com. Our editorial guidelines can be found here.
David Reichenbaugh
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David Reichenbaugh's passion for law enforcement started at a very early age which led him to seek a degree in criminal justice. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is a graduate of North Western University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command. David retired after 23 years service with the Maryland State Police as a Lieutenant and Barrack Commander in Cumberland Maryland. David's career started as a road Trooper and continued on as a criminal investigator, undercover narcotics investigator, major violators supervisor, homicide and high profile case investigator, and assisted in the development of the intelligence unit of the MSP post 9/11. He is the author of "In Pursuit: The Hunt for the Beltway Snipers.
After recently penning a book about his first hand account of heading the Beltway snipers investigation, David Reichenbaugh stopped at C. Burr Artz Public Library Saturday to recount the crucial moments of the “largest manhunt in American law enforcement history.”
Reichenbaugh released “In Pursuit: The Hunt for the Beltway Snipers” in October. Saturday’s presentation was organized by Curious Iguana in downtown Frederick.
The Beltway snipers were John Allen Muhammad (41 at the time) and Lee Boyd Malvo, who was 17 at the time of the attacks. The two men caused public hysteria and made national news after they carried out a series of shootings throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C and Virginia over a 23-day period in October 2002.
Reichenbaugh was the criminal intelligence operations commander for the Maryland State Police during the investigation and served as commanding officer at the scene when the snipers were captured at a rest area in Myersville.
More than 80 people gathered to hear the author talk about aspects that went wrong in the investigation, the intelligence that was used to further leads and how 23 law enforcement agencies worked together to end the three-week long manhunt.
“This is a story about your trooper,” he said. “Not a story to glorify the killers. It was an honor to serve the Maryland State Police.”
The former trooper also recounted how about 1,000 law enforcement officials came together to stop the snipers, how media outlets helped and hindered the case and why officials wrongly thought, for a majority of the investigation, a white van was being used to execute the shootings.
“People heard the shot,” he said, recalling one of the sniper shootings in Montgomery County. “They looked up, and as luck would have it, there goes a white van very slowly down the street. But if you think about it, you can’t look anywhere where there’s traffic and not see a white van. So that’s how it got started, be on the lookout for a two guys in a white van.”
The talk was slated to last an hour, but lasted almost two after audience members were so compelled with Reichenbaugh’s story they asked inquisitive questions before purchasing the book in the back of the room.
Frederick resident, Christopher Hartman, attended the event to hear the author’s account as he remembers taking extra precautions when traveling through Montgomery County during the sniper shootings.
“I lived through this,” he said. “I was working down in Montgomery County at the time and I actually had one of my friends at work drive me to the train station, I was taking a train from Frederick back and forth, so I wouldn’t be on the streets as a possible target. It really hits me personally.”
He said the most interesting part of the talk was when Reichenbaugh explained how it took up until the very end of the investigation to narrow in on who the snipers were and where they could be captured.
Reichenbaugh wrote the book because he “wanted the story to be accurate.” His favorite part about writing the book, though, was the process.
“It brought back some painful memories while writing it,” he said. “But at the same time it also brought back memories of the men and women that I served with, some of the just the greatest people on earth.
Asked what his most prominent memory of the investigation is, Reichenbaugh said the fear he saw in the faces of every day citizens during those three weeks.
“The fear was genuine from everybody that you ran into,” he said. “I can remember stopping at gas stations and there’d be somebody trying to put gas in their car. I’d stand there and sort of tuck my jacket back so they could see my badge and gun and you could almost see the relief on their face.”
Reichenbaugh is currently working on a second book about a different case, but wouldn’t divulge what it’s about.
The former MSP trooper worked in Frederick County for about 14 years as an undercover narcotics investigator. Today, he serves as a civilian analyst for the United States Capital Police and writes law enforcement articles for Homeland Security Today
Local Author and former Maryland State Police Lieutenant David Reichenbaugh holds a copy of his book during a talk Saturday at C Burr Artz Public Library about the pursuit and capture of the beltway snipers in 2002
staff photo by Bill Green
