Cult Expert Testifies in Sniper Suspect’s Trial

Lee Boyd Malvo could have been vulnerable to brainwashing by sniper mastermind John Allen Muhammad because of a fractured childhood in which his mother often dropped out of his life, a cult expert testified.

“Instability is a factor in indoctrination,” said Paul Martin, a psychologist. “People seek relief from that instability, that sense of insecurity in their life.”

Malvo’s lawyers are presenting an insanity defense in his capital murder trial, claiming Muhammad brainwashed their teenage client to the point that Malvo could not tell right from wrong. The trial is set to begin its fifth week Monday with the testimony of Dewey Cornell, a clinical psychologist at the University of Virginia who was appointed by the court as the defense’s mental health expert.