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
Whoopi Goldberg, Kerry Washington and More Celebrate Opening Night of The Whoopi Monologues
Kara Young, Dominique Fishback, Kecia Lewis, Kerry Washington and Danielle Pinnock
(Photo by Sergio Villarini for Broadway.com)
The Whoopi Monologues opened on July 13 at Lincoln Center Theater’s Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, reimagining Whoopi Goldberg’s 1984 one-woman show as an ensemble piece. The cast, which features Kerry Washington, Kara Young, Dominique Fishback, Kecia Lewis and Danielle Pinnock, assembled on opening night to serve red carpet glam. Cedric The Entertainer, Don Cheadle, Angela Bassett, Ana Navarro and Goldberg herself also turned up in their finery. Scroll down for some hot shots of the stars in attendance and check out the full gallery below!
Get Tickets to The Whoopi Monologues!
Diyar Guldogan
14 July 2026•Update: 14 July 2026
A US Air Force helicopter made a precautionary landing in northwest Washington, DC late Monday, local media reported.
The incident occurred at approximately 9.25 p.m. (0125GMT Tuesday) when a UH-1N Huey helicopter assigned to the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland landed along Foxhall Road near Whitehaven Parkway NW, close to the Georgetown Reservoir.
All four crew members who were on board are safe, according to media reports.
Maintenance personnel and law enforcement officials remained at the scene into the early hours of Tuesday as authorities assessed the aircraft and investigated the circumstances surrounding the landing.
See what a ‘super’ El Niño could bring
USA TODAY Network reporter Brandi D. Addison breaks down what a strong El Niño could mean for weather patterns across the country.
It may be the middle of July, but the Old Farmer’s Almanac is already looking ahead to the fall with cooler temperatures ahead.
The Almanac, which has been one of the most trusted weather prediction sources for more than two centuries, recently released its fall forecast, showing a wide range of weather throughout the United States.
But what about in the Washington DC region? Here’s what the Almanac says.
What is the fall weather forecast in the Washington DC area?
DC sits along the Almanac’s Atlantic Corridor, and that region should expect a “cool, dry” fall, according to the forecast.
“Expect cooler and wetter conditions than usual this fall,” the Old Farmer’s Almanac says. “Below average temperatures are forecast, along with an uptick in precipitation over traditional averages.”
Last year, DC received 6.53 inches of rain during September, October and November — significantly lower than the city’s 30-year average of 10.50 inches, according to the National Weather Service.
September’s average temperature was 72.2 degrees, with October at 60.3 and November at 49.9 degrees. The season had an average temperature of 60.8 degrees, slightly below the 30-year average of 61.0 degrees.
What does the Farmer’s Almanac say about winter in Washington DC?
In its long-range forecast, the Almanac forecasts above average temperatures this winter in DC with snowfall below normal.
“The coldest periods will occur in mid- to late-December and early and late January,” it says. “The snowiest periods will be in late December, early January, and late February.”
The Old Farmer’s Almanac says it is 80% accurate, but a 2017 University of Illinois study found it to be just 52% accurate.
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