WISE, Va. — Washington-area sniper Lee Boyd Malvo wants to change his name, but a Virginia judge won't allow it.
Malvo filed a motion to legally change his name to Joseph Lee Ostrierre. The Washington Post reports that Wise County Circuit Court Judge Tammy McElyea rejected the request Friday.
Malvo was 17 when he went on a cross-country killing spree with John Allen Muhammad, culminating with 10 murders in the Washington, D.C., area over a three-week period in October 2002. Muhammad was executed; Malvo was sentenced to life in prison.
In court filings, Malvo claimed he wanted to change his name to prevent assault by other inmates based on his notoriety. McElyea noted that Malvo had not had problems in his seven years at Red Onion State Prison in Pound.
© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.