Washington
2nd-degree murder charge against VA mom dismissed, prosecutors seek 1st-degree murder
A 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 age of 5 at home with grandparents,” attorney David Daugherty said.
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.
“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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Washington
The Fallout From the Epstein Files
The Department of Justice is facing scrutiny this week after it was revealed that records involving President Trump were missing from the public release of the Epstein files. On Washington Week With The Atlantic, panelists joined to discuss the ensuing political fallout for the Trump administration, and more.
“The key thing to remember about the Epstein story is that it is a case that has been mishandled for decades. The reason that we’re hearing about this now and why it’s exploding into public view is because, for the first time, Republicans in Congress and Democrats in Congress were willing to openly defy their leadership and call for the release of these files,” Sarah Fitzpatrick, a staff writer at The Atlantic, said last night. “That has never been done before, and I think it really is changing the political landscape in ways that we’re still just starting to learn.”
“What’s been so striking is how many of those very same Republicans who were calling for the release of those files, who had promised to get to the bottom of them, are now saying things that are just the opposite,” Stephen Hayes, the editor of The Dispatch, argued.
Joining guest moderator Vivian Salama, a staff writer at The Atlantic, to discuss this and more: Andrew Desiderio, a senior congressional reporter at Punchbowl News; Fitzpatrick; Hayes; and Tarini Parti, a White House reporter at The Wall Street Journal.
Watch the full episode here.
Washington
Man charged with shooting co-worker in Washington Heights
A 26-year-old man had an argument with a co-worker before allegedly fatally shooting the colleague in Washington Heights, prosecutors said Friday.
Bobby Martin, who was charged with first-degree murder Thursday, made his first appearance Friday in Cook County court.
Martin, is accused of killing his co-worker, Antoine Alexander, 32, in a parking lot at 9411 S Ashland Ave about 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Chicago police.
Prosecutors said Martin and Alexander worked together at an armed security company and got into a verbal altercation inside the guard shack on Tuesday afternoon. During the altercation, prosecutors said Alexander removed his bullet proof vest and threw it to the ground. A witness, another co-worker, then told the defendant and the victim to take the altercation outside.
After stepping outside, the defendant pulled his firearm and fired one shot into the victims abdomen, prosecutors said. The victim’s firearm was holstered at the time of the argument and the shooting. The defendant fled the scene and came into contact with another co-worker, whom he told that he had just shot Alexander.
Alexander was then taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead.
Martin was arrested by authorities three blocks from his home approximately 20 minutes after the shooting, prosecutors said.
Martin was detained and will appear in court again on March 17, authorities said.
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Washington
Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury announces she’s pregnant
Trinity Rodman signs record deal with Washington Spirit
USWNT forward Trinity Rodman signed a three-year deal with the NWSL’s Washington Spirit. The deal makes Rodman the highest-paid female footballer in the world.
unbranded – Sport
Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury has announced that she and her husband Matt are expecting a baby in July.
The couple made the announcement in a video on the Spirit’s social media channels, holding a baby goalkeeper jersey on the pitch at Audi Field.
Kingsbury becomes the most recent Spirit star to go on maternity leave, following defender Casey Krueger, midfielder Andi Sullivan and forward Ashley Hatch.
Sullivan gave birth to daughter Millie in July, while Hatch welcomed her son Leo in January.
Krueger announced she was pregnant with her second child in October.
Kingsbury has served as the Spirit’s starting goalkeeper since 2018, and has been named the NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year twice (2019 and 2021).
The 34-year-old has two caps with the U.S. women’s national team, and was named to the 2023 World Cup roster.
The club captain will leave a major void for the Spirit, who have finished as NWSL runner-up in back-to-back seasons.
Sandy MacIver and Kaylie Collins are expected to compete for the starting role while Kingsbury is on maternity leave.
The Spirit kick off their 2026 campaign on March 13 against the Portland Thorns.
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