A chance meeting between Lee Malvo, a Jamaican teenager, and John Muhammad, a disaffected US Army veteran, sets in motion a murderous road trip.
The snipers travel to the nation's capital to begin their reign of terror; in 24 hours, they leave a city in alarm.
As the snipers claim two more victims, ballistics confirm all the shootings are connected; investigators have no leads apart from the alleged sighting of a white box truck.
The killing zone expands, and the snipers shoot a 13-year-old boy.
With nine dead, the snipers play a high-stakes game, leaving a series of cryptic clues for the police.
With the entire region on the lookout for a blue Caprice, the snipers' car is spotted by an alert citizen in the dead of night.
Now in custody, separated from Muhammad, Lee Malvo's defense team battles to save him from the death penalty.