CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: What a strange first day in Virginia Beach. John Allen Muhammad abruptly shoves aside his attorneys and is now representing himself. Of course, he's accused of being one of the D.C.-area snipers. Our Jeanne Meserve is covering that trial.</s>JEANNE MESERVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Out of the blue, John Muhammad made a request to represent himself, and the judge granted it. It was just the most surprising development in a momentous day that featured opening statements. Prosecutor James Willett pulled the pieces of a Bushmaster rifle out of a duffle bag, snapped them together and put the rifle in front of the jury, as he presented details about 15 shootings, which he says John Muhammad was responsible for. He said there was a lot of evidence, but no eyewitness testimony. That is how clever they were, he said. Muhammad in his opening statement said the evidence would show he had nothing to do with the crimes -- either directly or indirectly. But a witness testified that she was able to place both Malvo and Muhammad near the scene of Dean Meyers' shooting just an hour or so before he was killed. Jeanne Meserve, CNN, Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Sniper Trials, Case Against Muhammad