The crime spree finally ended when Muhammad and Malvo were found sleeping in their car at a rest stop off Interstate 70 near Myersville, Maryland, and were arrested on federal weapons charges. Trooper First Class D. Wayne Smith of the Maryland State Police was the first to arrive at the scene and immediately used his unmarked police vehicle to block off the exit by positioning the car sideways between two parked tractor-trailers. As more troopers arrived, they effectively sealed off the rest area at both the entrance and exit ramps without the suspects being aware of the rapidly growing police presence. Later, as truck driver Ron Lantz was attempting to exit the rest area, his tractor-trailer was commandeered by troopers who used the truck, in place of the police car, to complete the roadblock at the exit. With the suspects' escape route sealed off, the SWAT officers moved in to arrest them.
Recording of Whitney Donahue's call to police.
Whitney Donahue called in to notify police that he had seen the 1990 Chevy Caprice that officers had been looking for which led to the capture of Muhammad and Malvo.
A stolen Bushmaster .223-caliber weapon and bipod were found in a bag in Muhammad's car. Ballistics tests later conclusively linked the seized rifle to 11 of the 14 shootings, including one in which no one was hurt.
Click the image to more closely examine the evidence.
