JARRATT, Va. (AP) _ A Virginia prosecutor says John Allen Muhammad died peacefully, much more than most of his victims.

Muhammad died of a lethal injection at a Virginia prison south of Richmond.

He was the mastermind behind the sniper attacks that left 10 dead in the Washington D.C. region in 2002.

Over a three-week period, 10 people were shot to death.

The shootings terrorized the region.

A teenage accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, is serving a life sentence.

Muhammad was executed for killing a Virginia man who was shot in the head at a gas station.

He was defiant to the end, refusing to utter any final words.

Victims' families sat behind glass while watching the execution, separated from the rest of the 27 witnesses.

Muhammad's lawyer says his client insisted to the end that he was innocent.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)