Second-degree murder and firearms charges were dropped in the case of a Manassas mom who says she fatally shot her estranged husband in self-defense, but prosecutors intend to take their case to a grand jury Monday and seek a charge of first-degree murder.
Until then at least, LaToya Crabbe will remain free and with her family. She was released on bond last week after four months in jail.
The unusual chain of events started when it became clear prosecutors were not ready to go to trial March 3 as scheduled. Crabbe’s defense attorneys accused them of acting in bad faith.
“They did nothing and all the while didn’t tell us that they weren’t going to proceed and let Ms. Crabbe — Dr. Crabbe, I should say — sit in that jail for four months with her three young children under the age of 5 at home with grandparents,” attorney David Daugherty said.
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Attorneys for Crabbe — a pharmacist and lieutenant commander in the U.S. Public Health Service before her arrest Oct. 21 — say Curtis Crabbe went after her with a knife. She says days earlier her husband had sent texts threatening to kill the family.
Defense attorneys told the judge that with just two weeks until trial, prosecutors had not provided a witness list as required or even sent subpoenas to get witnesses to court. Prosecutors also said they still haven’t received forensic lab results.
Crabbe’s defense attorneys say if prosecutors had disclosed that earlier, Crabbe may have been released from jail earlier.
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“She was in there, and they wanted her to stay in there, and that’s why they didn’t want to move … to continue because they were worried that she was going to get out,” attorney Blake Weiner said.
Prosecutors pushed back. Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth told the judge, “Alleging the commonwealth did nothing is absurd … None of this has been in bad faith.”
In seeking a first-degree murder charge, prosecutors point to new evidence that Ring camera video was deleted shortly after the shooting.
Defense attorneys say they’ll be able to show Crabbe did not delete video.
Crabbe declined comment Thursday. Her mother said she’s happy to have her daughter at home but bracing for what’s coming.
“We just waiting for the shoe to drop, for them to knock on the door to say they’re rearresting her,” Marilyn Martin said.
In the meantime, Crabbe will spend as much time as possible with her children.
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