A Manassas, Virginia, pharmacist and mother of three young children, who said she fired in self-defense when she killed her husband in October 2024 has been indicted for murder, and is being held without bond.
LaToya Crabbe, 35, was indicted on Jan. 6 by a Prince William County grand jury for second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in the death of her husband, Curtis Crabbe, 36.
Wednesday, her attorney David Daugherty unsuccessfully argued his client should be released on bond before trial, which is scheduled to begin March 3.
Prosecutors Burke Walker countered the self-defense claim, saying based upon the number of bullets remaining in the weapon, and the number of spent casings found at the scene, LaToya Crabbe reloaded the weapon during the shooting.
Walker said Curtis Crabbe’s body was found in a basement bedroom. Based upon ballistics and blood spatter analysis, the husband “was shot, cowering under a desk.”
LaToya Crabbe had been arrested on Oct. 21 after calling 911 and saying she had shot and killed her husband in self-defense.
Wednesday, the defense cited texts sent by Curtis to LaToya to Circuit Court Judge Carroll Weimer, Jr., the day before the shooting, in which he threatened to hurt the family, and burn down the family’s house.
Daugherty said prosecutors have failed to provide evidence that LaToya Crabbe reloaded the gun, and challenged Walker’s calculations and assertions about the number of rounds fired, and the number of wounds inflicted.
In a self-defense case, a defendant must take the stand to testify. Daugherty said he had been stymied in attempts for face-to-face meetings his his client, and “in a case of this magnitude,” LaToya Crabbe was entitled to an aggressive defense.
After hearing arguments, Weimer said he remained concerned about the likelihood LaToya Crabbe reloaded the weapon, and denied bond.
Mother: She fired as many as it took to stop him
After the hearing, LaToya Crabbe’s mother, Marilyn Martin told WTOP, “We’re disappointed, but not surprised they denied bond.”
Martin said the number of shots, and whether or not the gun was reloaded is largely irrelevant: “She fired as many as it took to stop him, while he was an imminent threat. She took as many shots as it took to stop that.”
During the hearing, LaToya Crabbe sat quietly, wearing an orange jump suit — from a few feet away, she was visibly shaking uncontrollably.
“It’s tough on her — she’s got to hold up as best she can,” said her mother. “She went through a trauma, then went straight to isolation, after just trying to save her life, and the life of her kids.”
She said she and her daughter retain hope.
“We’re disappointed in the way this county is running things, but we are still putting time and trust in the process,” Martin said.
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