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Hunted by My Husband: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper

December 30, 2025·1 hr 11 min·5 clips

The DC Sniper killed 10 people just to make his ex-wife's murder look random.

This episode of True Crime Obsessed covers the HBO Max documentary "Hunted by My Husband: The Untold Story of the DC Sniper." Hosts Patrick Hinds and Gillian Pensavalle focus on the previously untold perspective of Dr. Mildred Muhammad, the ex-wife of perpetrator John Allen Muhammad. The hosts have covered the DC sniper case before but frame this as a new story explaining the attacks' origins. The documentary recounts the October 2002 sniper attacks that killed 10 people and injured three over 23 days in the Washington D.C. area. Investigators initially pursued a tip about two white men in a white van, creating what one expert calls "tunnel vision." The snipers left taunting notes for police, including a tarot card inscribed with "Call me God." A break came from a priest's tip linking the crimes to a liquor store robbery in Montgomery, Alabama, where a dropped magazine provided a fingerprint for Lee Boyd Malvo. A separate tip from Washington State connected Malvo to John Muhammad, who was practicing with a .223 caliber rifle. The narrative then shifts to Dr. Mildred Muhammad's story, beginning with her 1988 marriage to the charming John Muhammad. After the birth of their son, John grew jealous of the attention Mildred gave the baby and began destroying her belongings, like a favorite dress and a teal jacket. Following his service in Desert Storm, John was diagnosed with PTSD, and Mildred describes the man who returned as a "complete stranger." The couple moved to Tacoma, Washington, and opened a successful auto repair business, but John began stealing cash from the company. A domestic violence expert in the film states that 99% of domestic violence situations include financial abuse. John converted to Islam with his family but, according to Mildred, used the religion's patriarchal elements to control her, declaring himself the "God of this house." He also had affairs, coming home with visible scratches on his back. In August 1999, John asked for a divorce but immediately recanted when Mildred agreed, claiming he was "just playing" to test her reaction. The hosts express shock at the level of control and manipulation described, noting how John systematically isolated and destabilized Mildred. They highlight the documentary's revelation that Mildred had previously called police about a suspicious car near her home, which was the Chevrolet Caprice used in the shootings. The tone is conversational, energetic, and often humorous, with the hosts frequently interjecting with personal reactions and tangents, like discussing tarot cards and alligator safety. Listeners who enjoy deep dives into true crime cases with a focus on survivor narratives and domestic violence dynamics will appreciate this episode. Those preferring a strictly factual, linear recounting of the sniper events might find the hosts' comedic style and numerous digressions distracting.

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