Charges dropped against Manassas mom indicted for murder of estranged husband
Manassas mother indicted on 1st-degree murder charge free on bond
A Manassas mother, indicted on a first-degree murder charge, is once again free on bond.
MANASSAS, Va. - Virginia is dropping charges against a Manassas mother who was indicted for the murder of her estranged husband in 2024, after prosecutors said new evidence backed up her claims of self-defense.
Murder charges dropped
What we know:
The Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney's Office announced Friday that it has moved to drop the first-degree murder charge against Latoya Crabbe.
Latoya Crabbe was charged with shooting and killing her estranged husband, Curtis Crabbe, at the family's home in October 2024. Latoya Crabbe was originally charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was later upgraded to first-degree murder.
What they're saying:
From the beginning, Latoya Crabbe claimed the shooting was in self-defense.
"I thought I was going to die. I was very confident I was going to die," she told FOX 5 in February 2025. "The fact that my only choices that day were to either die or go to jail is not a fair choice to put somebody through."
Dig deeper:
Latoya Crabbe said she was in the process of getting a divorce, trying to evict Curtis Crabbe from the home, and, days before the shooting, Curtis Crabbe allegedly sent a text to his wife saying that he would hurt everyone in the house, then set it on fire, adding she’d never see their three kids again.
At the time, prosecutors said they would not accept the self-defense claim because they believed Latoya Crabbe deleted Ring camera video footage from inside the home after the shooting. This, they said, indicated that the shooting was premeditated.
On Friday, though, prosecutors said newly-examined evidence supported Latoya Crabbe's self-defense claim. In preparation for the upcoming trial, investigators said they listened to an audio recording from a device seized during their investigation.
"This five-hour recording captured the extensive conversations and events immediately leading up to the shooting incident," the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office said. "Following an exhaustive review of the audio and its transcript, the Commonwealth has concluded that the recording introduces significant evidence that a reasonable jury could interpret as supporting a claim of lawful self-defense."
Manassas mother indicted on first-degree murder charge free on bond
A Manassas mother, indicted on a first-degree murder charge, is once again free on bond.
What's next:
A judge will now have to review the prosecution's request to drop the charges.
Latoya Crabbe was released on bond in March 2025.
The Source: Information in this story is from the Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney's Office and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.