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A 34-year-old Waldorf man, who was charged with the murder of a 26-year-old Lexington Park woman, took a plea deal just days before his scheduled trial in Charles County Circuit Court on Dec. 4.

On Feb. 4, three men, Anthony D’Angelo Wilkins, Charles Leon Thompson Jr., both 34, of Waldorf and an unidentified man, were allegedly involved in an armed robbery and the murder of the woman at a Waldorf bar. Thompson entered into a plea deal on Monday.

Wilkins and Thompson were charged with first-degree murder, attempted first- and second-degree murder, armed robbery, robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, first-degree assault, several charges of use of a firearm to commit a violent crime and other related charges.

On Feb. 4 at 1:25 a.m., officers responded to a bar, Beer 4 U, located at 2177 Crain Highway in Waldorf for the report of a shooting.

Upon arrival, officers located two people with gunshot wounds. Miaquita Gray, 26, of Lexington Park had a gunshot wound to the upper body; she was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A 24-year-old male was grazed in the leg during the shooting, according to the Charles County Sheriff’s Office.

A preliminary investigation revealed there had been an altercation inside the bar prior to the shooting, during which a male friend of Gray was assaulted. Shortly after the altercation, the man went outside to talk with Gray, who had just left. Wilkins and Thompson, who had been allegedly involved in the earlier assault, were in the parking lot when Wilkins reportedly pulled a gun and fired multiple rounds, striking Gray and wounding another man, according to police.

In the plea deal, Thompson pled guilty to two of the 26 original counts he was charged with: armed robbery and the use of a firearm to commit a violent crime. Both of these charges have a maximum sentence of 20 years incarceration.

Thompson’s attorney, Michael Beach, told the court that he was pleading guilty “under the theory that he was an accomplice” to the armed robbery of the victim inside the Waldorf bar.

Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney John Stackhouse summarized the evidence that would have been given if Thompson had agreed to a trial.

Stackhouse told the court that the victim who was robbed inside the bathroom of Beer 4 U would have testified, telling the court that he was hit over the head with a handgun before being robbed of cash and a credit card. He would have also testified that after he pointed out the three men who robbed him in the parking lot, Wilkins pointed a gun at him and fired shots, which hit Gray, ultimately killing her, according to Stackhouse.

He also said that he would have shown the jury a surveillance video of that night, which shows the men going into the bathroom just before the victim entered, as well as Wilkins carrying a handgun after Gray and others were shot.

Lastly, Stackhouse told the court that he had evidence that the victim’s blood was found on Thompson’s shoes and jacket that he was wearing the night of the incident.

Beach added that within the surveillance video, Thompson comes out of the bathroom first, which Beach said “put him the furthest away” from the robbery that took place in the bathroom.

He also told the court that Wilkins firing a gun outside the bar was a separate incident, and that there was a “two minute altercation” before the shots were fired, which Beach said was what caused Wilkins to pull out his gun.

“Thompson had no idea he was going to do that,” Beach said.

Thompson said that he agreed that the state had enough evidence to convict him of the crimes charged and officially pled guilty to armed robbery and use of a firearm to commit a violent crime in front of the court, as well as many friends and family members of Gray.

In a prior court hearing in March, Thompson’s bail was set at $50,000, which Stackhouse said he was unable to make. Stackhouse requested that Thompson be held without bond, which Judge H. Jay West granted.

West scheduled Thompson’s sentencing for Feb. 28.

According to the state’s attorney’s office, Wilkins is currently incarcerated in Virginia.

Originially Posted on The Maryland Independent:

http://www.somdnews.com/independent/crime_and_courts/waldorf-man-charged-with-murder-takes-plea-deal/article_de8828db-292e-5150-8c3f-ad786653ee59.html

State’s Attorney Tony Covington commenting on the case said, “Great job Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Freeman. She had to try this case 3 times! She kept the faith that justice would eventually prevail. And thanks to her indefatigable efforts, it finally did. Also, my thanks to the victim and her family for their patience and determination to see this through to the end. It wasn’t easy to speak out about the horrific abuse suffered at the hands of this defendant. Nor was it easy to endure almost 2 years of court proceedings. Much admiration for this courageous young woman. Remember, less than 20% of sexual assaults are reported. If you, or someone you know, is suffering in silence, there is help. For information, please call our Victim Witness Assistance Unit at 301-932-3360.”
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La Plata, MD – After two previous mistrials, a Charles County jury has found a New Carrolton man guilty of child sexual abuse.

Donald McCoy Stancell, 39, was convicted after a two day trial in which the jurors were presented with testimony from the victim, her mother and several expert witnesses.

Charles County State’s Attorney Sarah Freeman called the victim to the stand and the now 19 year old told jurors about sexual abuse she suffered for nearly three years from her step-father. She told the jury the abuse started when she was around 14 years old but she didn’t report it until November of 2015 when she was 17 years old.

The victim testified that Stancell would barter with her in exchange for sexual favors, including the purchase of clothes and make-up as well as the use of her cell phone. She told the court the two had sex in several places in their Waldorf home, as well as in his vehicle.

The abuse came to light when the victim, a student at McDonough High School, was questioned about bruising on her leg. She told a counselor at the school it was caused by Stancell. She later admitted he did not cause the bruising but he had been sexually abusing her.

After the sex abuse was reported, the victim was taken to Charles County Regional Medical Center where she underwent a physical examination by a forensic nurse.

Charles County police searched the victim’s home to collect evidence, including underwear the victim had been wearing two days earlier when Stancell forced her to have sex with him in exchange for phone privileges.

When detectives interviewed the victim, she also described several scars on or near Stancell’s genital area and the jury was shown those scars. Freeman said to the jury, “no child should have that knowledge of scars on her step-father’s genital region.”

The victim’s mother, who is now divorced from Stancell, also testified during the trial and admitted to having problems with her daughter, including several attempts to run away from home, getting high and threats of suicide. She told the court her husband said to her on the phone, “he should have known better, he was the adult.” During cross-examination Stancell’s defense attorney, Thomas Mooney, questioned whether that was an admission of guilt.

During day two of the trial, evidence was presented by Julie Kempton, a forensic scientist at the Maryland State Police crime lab. She testified that she tested the underwear that was collected at the victim’s house and found both female and male DNA. Kempton also testified that the sample tested matched Stancell’s DNA profile and the evidence was consistent with a man who has had a vasectomy, which Stancell is confirmed to have had. The DNA profile concluded that Stancell could not be excluded from results.

The only two other males in the household with the same male DNA were the victim’s younger brothers who were just seven and nine years old when the investigation was taking place.

The jury took less than 15 minutes to deliberate the case before returning the guilty verdict. Stancell was taken into custody and is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 20, 2018.

Stancell is scheduled to stand trial on Feb. 26, 2018 on seven counts of possession of child pornography.

Originally posted on The Baynet:

http://www.thebaynet.com/articles/1117/newcarroltonmanfoundguiltyofchildsexabuse.html

http://www.somdnews.com/independent/crime_and_courts/waldorf-man-receives-three-year-sentence-for-loaded-firearm-marijuana/article_67687103-873a-5803-bd71-b0a50e212389.html

State’s Attorney Tony Covington commenting on the sentence said, “Great job by ASA’s Granados and Beattie. It took a long time, but this defendant was finally held accountable for Crystal’s demise. I hope her family believes that justice was done in this difficult case.”

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A Nanjemoy man accused of murdering a 29-year-old woman in 2011, was sentenced to 60 years after he entered a guilty plea to two of the four counts that the jury could not present a verdict for during a trial in February, as well as two other counts.

In Charles County Circuit Court Monday, Raymond Daniel Posey III, 25, of Nanjemoy pled guilty to robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery as well as two counts of influencing a witness.

Posey was scheduled to be retried Oct. 2 on four of the 13 counts the jury could not decide a verdict on: conspiracy to commit first-degree murder — which could carry a penalty of a life sentence — second-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. However, he appealed his case just days before.

Posey’s attorneys Kevin Barry Collins and John Chase Johnson said that Posey was taking advantage of the plea deal and not admitting to committing the murder of 29-year-old Crystal Anderson in 2011.

After hearing a summary of the case, and from the victim’s family members, Judge H. Jay West sentenced Posey to 15 years for committing the robbery of Anderson, five years for conspiracy of robbing Anderson, 20 years for each of the two counts of influencing a witness — totaling 60 consecutive years of incarceration without possibility of parole.

Posey also is serving a total of 27 years for two counts of admitting violation of probation from a previous case for failure to obey all laws. These 27 years are served concurrent to his 60 years.

The defendant received credit for the 411 days he has already served since September 2016.

The murder of Anderson allegedly took place on July 26, 2011, when Posey allegedly shot her, and he and Darrayl John Wilson, 26, of Nanjemoy allegedly dumped her body into the woods over a guardrail near Purse State Park in Nanjemoy.

During the trial in February, witnesses said that they last saw Anderson leaving a house party in Nanjemoy with Posey and Wilson that night. The state believes that the defendants drove Anderson from the party to Prince George’s County, where she picked up PCP from her supplier, which she regularly used and sold.

On the way back to the party, Posey and Wilson allegedly shot Anderson to death and threw her body over a guardrail, the state said. The state said in court that her death dissolved a $2,000 drug debt that Posey’s brother had owed her.

Assistant state’s attorneys Johnathan P. Beattie and Francis J. Granados gave a summary of the six-year ongoing case to the court before West made his decision.

Granados told the court the remains that were found in the wooded area of Purse Park included the clothing that matched “exactly” what Anderson’s mother told police she was wearing the night she last saw her before she went missing.

He also said that just days after the alleged murder of Anderson, Posey and his co-defendant Wilson went to the home she was staying in and sold pieces of her clothing, shoes and even her dog found in the home, which was before Anderson’s family reported her missing.

Granados said that the reason why Posey attempted to hang himself, which witnesses testified to, was because he was guilty. He also said that witnesses testified that Posey admitted to committing the murder and said that it was his brother’s idea, that he did not want to do it, and he wished he could take it back.

“This case has always been about getting justice for Crystal,” Granados said.

He called Anderson’s mother, Angela Anderson, the “most patient woman in the world” because this case has taken six years.

Granados told the court that everyday Anderson’s family has to deal with lingering questions about her last moments: “Did she suffer? Was she still alive when she was thrown over that guardrail? What were her last words?”

“Raymond Posey knows [the answers to these questions],” Granados said.

Granados said that he hopes this sentencing brings closure to Anderson’s family, and said “six decades in prison, that’s justice for Crystal.”

“We haven’t talked much about Crystal,” the court has only heard that she dealt drugs, Granados said.

The state had several family members of Anderson’s tell the court how her death has and will forever affect their lives.

Family members told stories demonstrating how caring and giving Anderson was. Some stories included Anderson taking in animals that were in need of a home. Most of the stories included that Anderson was a dependable person and that she would help anyone in need.

Anderson’s youngest sister said that she was “known for her big heart and even bigger shoe collection.” Her sister later broke down on the floor crying when telling the court that her 4-year-old son will never be able to meet his aunt Crystal.

Anderson’s mother was the last family member to speak to the court. She described losing her daughter as a “deep sickening feeling” in her heart forever.

She said that she still cries when she can’t remember Crystal’s laugh. She explained that many friends that she didn’t know that Crystal had came forward to help when Crystal was missing. She said that her friends and family put a lot into searching for her, but “she came back to me in a bag.”

After hearing from the state, Collins with the defense, told the court that Posey was acquitted of murder.

Posey told West that he did not wish to speak.

Before telling the court his decision, West gave Anderson’s mother back the scrapbook of Crystal that she made. He told her that he looked at every single page and that he marked his “favorite” ones.

West also pointed out that to his knowledge, “no one said an ill word about Mr. Posey” during the family member’s speeches to the court.

After giving Posey his sentencing totaling 60 years, he wished him and his family luck.

Originally posted on Maryland Indpendent: