Details on Tonya Reaves Murder come out

The orginal story is here:

There's more here:

By her mother’s account, 53-year-old Tonya Reaves rode her bike everywhere, no matter the time of day. Donna Hill said her daughter used to pedal home when she got off late from her former job at Pizza Hut, and she would frequently bike to her boyfriend’s house or even just for fun.

Although witness accounts in court papers have shifted and are contradictory, two people said that the young woman studying to be a surgical nurse or nursing-home worker ran over Reaves slowly after striking her, inflicting gruesome and fatal injuries.

And about the investigation.

The investigation proved complicated, as witnesses’ stories to police shifted in the days that followed, court papers show.

When police arrived at Eighth and S streets NW, they found Reaves’s bicycle in a crosswalk and two apparent witnesses, one of whom claimed to have been on foot while observing a sport-utility vehicle hit Reaves, according to a police affidavit. Both people would later admit to being in the vehicle that hit Reaves and claim that Thomas was driving, although one first pointed to another person as the driver, according to the affidavit.

Investigators tracked down four people who claimed to be in the car during the crash, and all four alleged that Thomas was the driver, according to the affidavit. One person told investigators that the group had just left the New Town bar on U Street and that Thomas had been drinking, according to the affidavit.

But that account was backed up by only one person, who claimed that Thomas was drinking vodka and lemonade and smoking marijuana, according to the affidavit. The two others in the car said that Thomas was neither drinking nor smoking, according to the affidavit.

When police searched the car, a Ford Focus, that they believe was involved in the crash, they found a nearly empty bottle of vodka, according to the affidavit. Police said Thomas did not have a driver’s license.

It's hard to follow, but as I read it the idea is that Thomas hit Reaves by accident. But then intentionally drove forward over her, and that's why it's murder. I'm so lacking in confidence on that that I should possibly end that statement with a question mark . 

Comments

[contrarian]

There's a concept in the law called "felony murder," where if you kill someone in the process of committing a felony you can be charged with murder. Drunk driving can be a felony.

[SJE]

There are multiple aggravating factors
1. Unlicensed driver is a BIG deal.
2. Hitting, then driving over the victim
3. Leaving the scene.
4. Drinking and drugs.

If you leave the scene, it can be inferred that you were drunk or high or otherwise doing something wrong. The "I didn't realize it" defense cannot work if two of your PASSENGERS are witnesses.

[Smedley Burkhart]

Can the passengers be charged with anything, e.g., accessory? If not, how will the prosecutor get them to testify against the driver?

[washcycle]

If they obstruct the investigation, that's a crime. Also, some people might testify against their friend if they just watched them murder someone. Wouldn't you?

Why were the passenger/witnesses still at the crash location after the car drove away? Did they get out of the car? Come back? It's very odd.

[SJE]

Failing to be helpful is not obstruction. But, they have lots of other reasons to be helpful.

The passengers appear to have conflicting stories. A prosecutor can do the following
1. Assert that THEY were the one who was really driving. This will force them to prove that they were not driving, which requires them to finger the driver.
2. If a passenger owns the car, he can be liable for giving the keys to the driver
3. You can argue that the passengers encouraged the driver to break the law, or did not stop her from driving despite being drunk, no licence, etc. This works as a threat, but I believe is harder to prosecute.

In short, they are witnesses to a homicide, and possibly participants. Failure to be helpful to the police could result in them being caught up in the messy business. You can see why they would want to be as helpful as possible.

[Smedley Burkhart]

I flatter myself I would, but I have a more or less full set of bourgeois values. A glance at the newspaper teaches us that not everyone does, especially those whose friends drive unlicensed in an extreme state of intoxication and commit hit and run. I agree there must be more to the story.