May 25, 2013
What ever happened to the white van?
Authorities now believe there never was one -- and the only vehicle used by the snipers was a blue 1990 Chevy Caprice sedan.
John Allen Muhammad bought it last month for $250 in New Jersey. The name of the car dealer -- believe it or not -- was Sure Shot Auto Sales.
When police found it, it was equipped with a platform in the trunk from which a sniper could fire without being seen.
Early in the case, police mentioned a four-door Caprice. It had been seen leaving a shooting scene in Washington, D.C. -- with its lights off. But it never got any of the attention paid to the stories of a white truck and a white van reportedly seen at two shooting sites.
In fact, when he was asked about the Caprice two weeks ago, Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said there's "not a big push for public feedback about that."
Criminal experts said the accounts of white vans show again that eyewitnesses aren't always reliable.
And a forensic psychiatrist said it shows that investigators are also human. Reid Malloy said in a frenzied investigation, "things get ignored, mistakes are made."
