Manassas woman's attorney criticizes grand jury process in estranged husband's murder case
Manassas woman's attorney criticizes grand jury process
The attorney for a Manassas woman due back in court Tuesday appears to be criticizing the grand jury process after his client, who claims self-defense in the alleged murder of her estranged husband, was recently indicted for first-degree murder.
MANASSAS, Va. - The attorney for a Manassas woman due back in court Tuesday appears to be criticizing the grand jury process after his client, who claims self-defense in the alleged murder of her estranged husband, was recently indicted for first-degree murder.
According to FOX 5's Stephanie Ramirez, Latoya Crabbe is scheduled to appear at 10 a.m. on a first-degree murder charge after the second-degree murder charge against her was dropped last week.
Crabbe had been released from jail recently, but prosecutors told FOX 5 they expected she would face the more serious charge, despite both she and her family continuing to claim she acted in self-defense.
The case stems from the fatal shooting last October inside the family's Brinkley Lane home in Manassas. Police arrived to find Curtis Crabbe suffering from a fatal gunshot wound, immediately arresting Latoya.
Prosecutors allege premeditation in murder case
Latoya Crabbe claims she was in the process of a divorce and evicting her husband, who allegedly sent a text threatening to hurt everyone in the home days before.
Prosecutors are not accepting the self-defense claim because they believe Crabbe deleted Ring camera video footage inside the home after the shooting, indicating premeditation — something her attorney denies.
READ MORE: Manassas woman charged with murdering estranged husband claims self-defense
Manassas woman accused of killing husband charged with first-degree murder
A Manassas woman accused of killing her husband has been indicted on first-degree murder charges. LaToya Crabbe was previously charged with second-degree murder but prosecutors dropped the charges, opting for the higher, first-degree count instead. She is expected in court at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
Manassas woman's attorney criticizes grand jury process
David R. Daugherty of The Daugherty Law Firm released the following statement to FOX:
"We are not surprised at all in the "Grand Jury" indictment because the grand jury process has always been a rubber-stamp for the government’s accusations against citizens (not just in this county, but everywhere in the United States). It’s a closed-door hearing where the only thing the panel hears is a barebones synopsis of what the government believes their evidence will prove. The only time in 17 years I’ve ever seen or heard of the grand-jury not returning an indictment sought by the government is the rare occasion that the investigating officer/detective did not show up to the grand jury hearing.
LaToya will be processed on the new charge and released on pre-trial supervision, which we are glad that the government has agreed. However, we maintain supervision is unnecessary for a woman who clearly only acted in order to protect herself and her family from a man with demonstrable bad intentions who also had a violent past."
The Source: FOX 5 DC