Kevin Lewis Crouch | Homicide Watch DC

Charge Dropped in Case Against Corey Stoddard

Megan Arellano — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 16:07:45 -0400

A charge of voluntary manslaughter against Corey Stoddard was dismissed Tuesday when Judge Russell Canan granted prosecutors’ request to dismiss the case without prejudice.

Spokesperson William Miller said that the U.S. Attorney’s Office found "insufficient evidence to go forward at this time."

Stoddard was arrested in January on suspicion of second-degree murder connection with the death of 19-year-old Kevin Lewis Crouch. He was released in March on his personal promise to return to court.

Miller said the US Attorney's Offices' investigation into Crouch's death is ongoing.

On Dec. 31, 2014, police found Crouch suffering from significant trauma on the sidewalk in 1300 block of Kenilworth Avenue Northeast. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

According to charging documents, police believe Stoddard drove a tow truck over Crouch after Crouch attempted to rob people with a handgun at the tow truck yard where he worked.

Stoddard told police that Crouch pulled a dark handgun from his clothes and stated he was going to rob Stoddard and another person.

Both Stoddard and the other person immediately turned and ran, charging documents say. But when Stoddard slipped and fell, Crouch ran up to him and struck him twice on the head with the gun, according to Stoddard.

Prosecutors alleged that Stoddard then drove on to the sidewalk of Kenilworth Avenue Northeast and ran over Crouch in an effort to retrieve his wallet. Police found Crouch without a jacket and without pants after he had been dragged approximately 100 feet.

Judge: Probable Cause in Corey Stoddard Manslaughter Case

Megan Arellano — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 16:02:20 -0500

Corey Stoddard will remain free, though under high-intensity supervision, after a judge found probable cause that he committed voluntary manslaughter when he hit Kevin Lewis Crouch with his tow truck.

Attorneys on both sides agreed Wednesday that Stoddard was the victim of a violent armed robbery committed by Crouch moments before his death. But they disagree about whether Stoddard was defending himself when he drove his tow truck over Crouch.

Prosecutors allege that Stoddard drove on to the sidewalk of Kenilworth Avenue Northeast and ran over Crouch in an effort to retrieve his wallet. Defense attorney Eugene Ohm says that Crouch was pointing a gun at Stoddard when Stoddard was driving the truck.

On Dec. 31, police found Crouch suffering from significant trauma on the sidewalk in 1300 block of Kenilworth Avenue Northeast. Crouch was then transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.

Charging documents say that at Collision Towing Company, Crouch pulled a dark handgun from his clothes and pointed it at Stoddard, his coworker, and a customer, saying he intended to rob the men. All three men began to run away, but Stoddard slipped and fell, documents say.

Metropolitan Police Detective Gabriel Truby testified that Crouch was not found carrying a firearm, but a bb gun that resembled a handgun. The BB gun was discovered underneath Crouch's body after he had been run over.

In charging documents, Stoddard told police that Crouch ran up to him on the ground and struck him twice on the head with the gun. He threw his wallet in the opposite direction and ran to his tow truck. When Crouch chased him, Stoddard ran him over, he told police.

Det. Truby testified that video footage captured the robbery, including Crouch striking Stoddard and Stoddard throwing an object away. On Wednesday, Truby said that Crouch picked up the object, then "re-engaged" Stoddard in what may have been another attack.

But shortly after that, Crouch and Stoddard "left each other's presence," said Truby. About "20 to 30 seconds later," a tow truck can be seen leaving the premise, testified Truby. A second video depicted a white tow truck driving down the sidewalk of Kenilworth Avenue.

Truby also noted that police found Crouch without a jacket and without pants. Truby said that Stoddard later told detectives that he took Crouch's pants and jacket in an attempt to recover his wallet after he ran over Crouch.

Assistant US Attorney Edward O'Connell argued that when Stoddard chased Crouch after a 20 to 30 second pause, Stoddard lost his claim to self-defense because the robbery was over. Furthermore, Stoddard used an "unreasonable" amount of force when he drove over Crouch to retrieve his belongings.

Ohm, Stoddard's defense attorney, argued that Crouch brandished a weapon at Stoddard while Stoddard drove. He further argued that Stoddard was not legally obligated to retreat; Stoddard had a right to check on his coworker and collect information about where Crouch was running, Ohm said.

Judge Russell Canan ruled that there was probable cause and that the circumstances that provoked Stoddard to pursue Crouch indicated "adequate provocation" for voluntary manslaughter.

Regarding the allegations that Stoddard had tampered with his GPS device while enrolled in high intensity supervision, Judge Canan told Stoddard he would "give him the benefit of the doubt" and allow him to remain released in the program. Judge Canan cautioned Stoddard that in the event of any more problems, Stoddard would go to jail.

The case is scheduled for a felony status conference March 21.

Robbery Turned Fatal When Man Dragged Under Tow Truck

Megan Arellano — Wed, 01 Jan 2014 17:12:45 -0500

The death of a man at a Kenilworth Avenue Northeast towing company has been ruled a homicide, bringing the total number of homicides in DC in 2013 to 106.

According to charging documents in the case, Kevin Lewis Crouch was struck by a tow truck at the yard after he tried to rob people there. The driver of the tow truck, Corey Stoddard, is suspected of second-degree murder.

Documents allege that Crouch attempted to rob Stoddard and others with a handgun at Collision Towing Company where Stoddard worked, but Stoddard ran to a truck and tried to drive away. When Crouch chased him, Stoddard ran over Crouch with the tow truck and dragged him approximately 100 feet, police say.

Crouch was pronounced dead Tuesday afternoon at Prince George's County Community Hospital.

Stoddard appeared in D.C. Superior Court Wednesday. He was ordered released to high-intensity supervision until a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 22.

According to a witness who works with Stoddard, Crouch came up to the two men and asked about a towed vehicle.

Stoddard told police that Crouch was looking for a green car, but Stoddard told him there was no green car at the lot, charging documents say. When Stoddard asked Crouch who him told to pick his car at the lot, Crouch said, "My b***h, told me my car was here," according to the charging document.

Stoddard said that Crouch then pulled a dark handgun from his clothes and pointed it at Stoddard, his coworker, and a customer, saying he intended to rob the men.

Both Stoddard and the other witness immediately turned and ran. Stoddard slipped and fell. According to Stoddard, Crouch ran up to him on the ground and struck him twice on the head with the gun.

Stoddard told police that he threw his wallet in the opposite direction and ran to his tow truck. When Crouch chased him, Stoddard ran him over, he told police.

According to MPD's official statement differs in this account from the charging documents written by detectives. According to MPD's statement, Crouch was fleeing.

"The decedent subsequently fled the scene on foot while the tow crane operator entered his tow crane and drove in the direction of the decedent, striking him with the tow crane," the statement reads.

A copy of the charging document is below, along with MPD's press release.

Stoddard, Corey Charging Paper (PDF)Stoddard, Corey Charging Paper (Text)

Arrest Made in Homicide: 1300 Block of Kenilworth Avenue, NE

(Washington, DC)-Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch have announced that an arrest has been made in the homicide which occurred in the 1300 block of Kenilworth Avenue, Northeast.

On Tuesday, December 31, 2013, at approximately 12:44 pm, members of the Sixth District responded to the 1300 block of Kenilworth Avenue, Northeast for the report of a pedestrian struck. Upon arrival, they located an adult male with significant injuries. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported the victim to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. The decedent was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for Baltimore, Maryland, pending an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

A detailed investigation revealed that a tow crane operator was robbed and assaulted by the decedent. The decedent subsequently fled the scene on foot while the tow crane operator entered his tow crane and drove in the direction of the decedent, striking him with the tow crane.

The decedent is identified as 22 year-old Kevin Lewis Crouch of Southeast, Washington, DC.

On Tuesday, December 31, 2013, members of the Homicide Branch arrested the tow crane operator who was positively identified as 35-year-old Corey Dion Stoddard of Northeast, Washington, DC charging him with Second Degree Murder in connection to the death of Kevin Lewis Crouch.