Judge Who Presided Over Sniper Trial to Rule on Murder Case Against Severance

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Jane Marum Roush will preside over the trial of Charles Severance, accused of the murders of three prominent Alexandrians: Ruthanne Lodato, Ronald Kirby and Nancy Dunning. Alexandria’s three Circuit Court judges recused themselves.

Severance, who turns 54 on Wednesday, is being held at the William G. Truesdale Adult Detention Center in Alexandria.

Roush has presided over other high-profile trials including that of sniper serial killer Lee Boyd Malvo, who was convicted in 2004 of killing an FBI analyst in the Home Depot parking lot in the Seven Corners area. The murder was one of many in a serial shooting spree by Malvo, then 17, and John Allen Muhammad. Roush sentenced him to life in prison without parole, which was the sentence recommended by the jury.

She also presided over another high-profile murder trial, last fall, of college student Vanessa Pham. A graduate of Madison High School in Vienna, Pham, 19, was a student at Savannah College of Art & Design and was home on summer break when she gave Julio Blanco Garcia and his baby a ride to the hospital. She was stabbed 13 times and found in her car on the side of the road on Route 50.

Her murder was a mystery for 2.5 years until Garcia’s fingerprint during a shoplifting incident matched a fingerprint at the scene. Garcia said he was high on PCP at the time of the murder; he was sentenced to 49 years in prison.

Severance faces the following charges:

• Capital Murder, two counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, and Malicious Wounding for the February 2014 murder of Ruthanne Lodato.
• Capital Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon for the November 2013 murder of Rob Kirby.
• First Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony for the 2003 murder of Nancy Dunning.​

Severance’s trial date will be set on Thursday.

PHOTO of Charles Severance courtesy of Alexandria Sheriff’s Office