Sniper's wife says she's shed guilt

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- The ex-wife of D.C. Sniper John Muhammad says she has moved on from feeling guilty about her former husband's shooting spree in which 10 people died.

Mildred Muhammad told CNN Monday she believes she was her ex-husband's ultimate target in the random 2002 slayings, for which he is scheduled to be executed Tuesday evening in Virginia. Because of that, she says she spent much time feeling guilty for them, but has gradually gotten over those feelings by concentrating on her children.

"I felt that way initially because I had done everything I knew how to do to bring attention to how dangerous he was to me," Muhammad said. "I had no idea his anger would extend beyond me, to include all people in his killings."

At the time of his trial, and that of his then-teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo, prosecutors said Muhammad intended the slayings as a smokescreen for his real goal of killing his ex-wife and gaining custody of his three children.

"I feel that all of my efforts, all of my energy is to help my children through this emotional turmoil that they are going through," Mildred Muhammad said. "I don't have an emotional attachment to John."