Prince William County press release

A sign on the wall of the Prince William County Law Library, recently relocated from the basement to the third floor of the Prince William County Judicial Center, honors former Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul B. Ebert.

The sign states that the library, open to the public, continues the “legacy of service by ensuring access to justice for all.”

“Many years ago, the law library was relegated to the deepest corner of the basement, and that really undermined its main mission,” said current Commonwealth’s Attorney Jacqueline Smith. “The mission of the law library is to provide access to justice for all citizens regardless of their socio-economic status.”

Ebert, the state’s longest-serving commonwealth’s attorney, served in the office representing Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park from 1967 to 2019. He rose to national prominence in prosecuting Lorena Bobbitt and the Beltway Snipers.

Bill Stevens, Ebert’s friend and long-time colleague, spoke at the law library dedication and, in a roast-like style, told the story of a prank Ebert played on him when he was fresh out of law school. According to Stevens, Ebert sent him looking for the law library within a month after they first met.

“He gave me some directions, and they were confusing at best, so I left and wandered around the courthouse. There was only a circuit court on the second floor. There was only a county court on the right. There were some clerk’s offices and I couldn’t find the law library. So, I go over into the annex and I’m inquiring about the law library. Leda Thomas was the clerk of the circuit court and she sort of smiled and said, ‘What are you talking about?’ and I said, ‘Well, Ebert told me the law library was around here,’ and she said, ‘There’s no law library.’ “I never did get him back for that.”

Stevens went on to recognize Ebert’s service. “There’s dedication in a job like this. If you wonder what it’s like to run for reelection, Paul did it 13 times. These were for four-year terms and he became the longest-serving commonwealth’s attorney in the commonwealth and maybe, arguably, in the country. I think for his service, to the commonwealth, to this county, to the citizens and to all the cases, I think it’s only fitting and proper that this law library be dedicated to him.”

Ebert’s daughter, Kathy Gravett, was quite happy at the dedication of the law library, which is used by more than 7,000 people annually. “I think it’s fantastic and very special and well-deserved. We couldn’t be more pleased and honored.”

Ebert thanked everyone for coming and said he was honored at the dedication.

Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Amy Ashworth announces the successful prosecution of Glennard Kenny McFadden for one count of aggravated malicious wounding and one count of domestic assault and battery.

According to a press release from the commonwealth attorney’s office, on Tuesday, December 14, 2022, a Prince William County jury found Glennard Kenny McFadden guilty of both charges following a three-day jury trial in the Circuit Court. A sentencing hearing for McFadden is scheduled for April 6, 2023.

On August 14, 2016, medics and officers from the Manassas Park Police Department were dispatched to a residence in Manassas Park. Police found a victim injured with two head lacerations, one being a significant laceration to her forehead, cut to the bone.

According to the press release on March 17, 2018, the same victim was battered by McFadden in her home.

“Our office remains committed to addressing intimate partner, gender-based, and family-based violence in our community. Our Domestic Violence team works diligently to bring justice to survivors and to end cycles of abuse,” said Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth.

Ashworth commended Attorney Marcia Payne, the Manassas Park Police Department, notably Lieutenant Dustin Walker, for his investigation of these cases, and Giné Ryan of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Program, who provided support for the victim and her family.

Ashworth is the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney for Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park. She was elected in November 2019.

Prince William County Clerk of the Circuit Court Jacqueline C. Smith will host an open house and dedication ceremony for the Prince William County Public Law Library Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at 5 p.m.

The open house and dedication ceremony will be held at the Judicial Center, 9311 Lee Avenue, Manassas, Virginia.

The law library will be dedicated in honor of Hon. Paul B. Ebert, Esq, the longest-serving Commonwealth’s Attorney in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ebert is most widely known for his prosecution of the Lorena Bobbitt and DC sniper cases. Family, friends, and colleagues will be in attendance at the event and will speak about the commitment and service of Ebert.

The newly renovated law library will be officially open to the public.

During his time as Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney from 1968 to 2019, Ebert earned the reputation of having more death-row convictions than any other prosecutor.

A case against a murder suspect was dismissed by Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Carol A. Weimer Jr. on August 4.

On October 21, 2019, 21-year-old Nathaniel Isiah Hickson was found suffering a gunshot wound in the 2300 block of Briar Rose Lane in Lake Ridge. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he later died.

Police charged Najoun Courtney and Tre Rose with murder. Police said Hickson was shot during a drug deal, and the two suspects fled the scene.

In November 2021, Rose pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, conspiracy to commit robbery, and agreed to testify in an unrelated murder case, in addition to testifying against Courtney.

On August 4, the prosecutors could not prove to the judge that a felony drug transaction had occurred. Afterward, Courtney’s attorneys, William Warrier and Ben Talley of the Prince William County Public Defender’s Office, asked the judge to dismiss the case.

“The Public Defender conducted our own investigation of these allegations and concluded that the commonwealth’s collection of evidence, and its conclusions about the evidence gathered, were fatally flawed and suffered confirmation bias,” said Prince William County Public Defender Office Director Tracy Lenox in a statement to Potomac Local News.

Prince Willliam County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth said the office took the case very seriously and presented 26 witnesses and 130 pieces of evidence, seeking a 2nd-degree murder conviction. When the judge struck the robbery charge, prosecutors asked the judge to amend the charge to 1st-degree murder, but Weimer declined and dismissed the case.

“If this case had been sent to a jury, we believe we would have secured a conviction,” said Ashworth. “While we respect the judge’s decision, we strongly believe that the evidence was sufficient to prove the robbery charge, which was the predicate offense for the felony murder charge, and are disappointed by the outcome.”

Courtney was incarcerated on the 2nd-degree murder charge from his arrest on November 12, 2019, until the commonwealth decided not to prosecute on November 19, 2021, said Lenox. However, prosecutors handed down a direct indictment of Courtney on March 8, 2022, and he was again held on these charges until the time of trial last week.

In between those times, he was held continuously on other charges in Spotsylvania County, for which he served a significant sentence, said Lenox.

[Updated 12:25 p.m.] A murder suspect is walking free today in Prince William County.

Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Robert P. Coleman granted bond for 18-year-old Angel Alfonso Morales Flores on Wednesday, July 27.

Morales Flores of Woodbridge is charged with the shooting death of 19-year-old David Madison Fowler III, shot and killed June 14 outside a Safeway store on Minnieville Road in Dale City.

Morales Flores faces felony homicide, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and conspiracy to violate the drug control act charges. A magistrate denied him bond immediately following his arrest on July 6.

Newly sworn-in Prince William County Circuit Court Judge Robert P. Coleman granted bond for the suspected killer. Prince William County Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth said Coleman granted the bond over her offices objections.

Ashworth says Coleman granted Morales Flores a $7,500 cash/corporate surety bond with the highest level of pretrial supervision, including GPS monitoring, a mental health assessment, house arrest and reverse house arrest, no contact with the co-defendant and the victim’s family, no drugs or alcohol usage. Coleman decided the suspect was not a flight risk, she added.

“The Commonwealth Attorney opposes bond in all cases in which it we believe that the defendant is a danger to our community or is a flight risk,” states Ashworth in an email to Potomac Local News. “The judge makes the final decision on bond after hearing evidence and argument from both the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the defense attorney.”

According to Prince William County Board Chair At-large Ann Wheeler, the court held an investiture ceremony on Friday, July 15, when Clerk of the Circuit Court Jacqueline Smith Judge Mary Grace O’Brien of the Court of Appeals of Virginia administered Coleman’s oath of office.

A gunman shot and killed Fowler III at 2 p.m. on June 14. A 911 caller summoned police to Cheshire Station Plaza, 4400 block of Cheshire Station Plaza at the intersection of Minnieville Road and Dale Boulevard in Dale City, to investigate a shooting.

Upon arriving at the shopping center, officers located a te victim suffering from gunshot wounds. Bystanders and officers provided first aid to the man before rescue personnel arrived at the location.

Medics took the man to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries, and he later died.

A police investigation revealed that the man and an acquaintance arranged to meet other parties in the above area. During the encounter, one of the other parties fired multiple rounds, which struck the victim.

The other parties then fled in a light-colored vehicle before police arrived. Police collected several shell casings and two firearms at the scene.

Police said the incident was not random.