Jury Foreman Slams Stateâs Case After Acquittal in Fatal Stabbing of Prep School Student
The foreman of the jury that acquitted Raul Valle of murder in the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old lacrosse player James âJimmyâ McGrath has criticized the prosecutionâs case, saying it lacked the evidence necessary to support a conviction.
Valle, now 20, was found not guilty on Wednesday of murder, first-degree manslaughter with intent to cause serious physical injury, and first-degree assault with intent to cause serious physical injury. These charges stemmed from a violent altercation on May 14, 2022, during a house party in Shelton, an affluent suburb in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
The incident occurred during a night of back-to-back high school parties. McGrath, a student at Fairfield College Preparatory School, was fatally stabbed in the chest during a brawl involving dozens of teenagers. Valle, a student at nearby St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, admitted to wielding a knife during the fight but testified he did not intend to kill anyone and acted in self-defense during a chaotic melee.
The jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on two lesser included chargesâsecond-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault, both based on recklessness. As a result, a partial mistrial was declared on those counts.
Jim Stuhlman, the jury foreman and 10th juror, read the not-guilty verdict in court. Speaking to News 3 afterward, Stuhlman said, âThey just didnât have enough to prove the case. There were too many inconsistencies and contradictions in the testimony.â
He explained that jurors quickly dismissed the idea that Valle had intentionally killed McGrath. âThe prosecution failed to prove intent,â he said, adding that the jury followed legal instructions carefully. âWe did what we were supposed to do.â
Stuhlman acknowledged the difficulty of the case, saying, âNot everyone will be happy with the conclusion. We werenât happy that we couldnât find agreement on the final counts, but we did everything we could to get as far as we did.â
The partial mistrial leaves open the possibility of further legal action. On Thursday, Fox News Digital confirmed that the state of Connecticut plans to retry Valle on the unresolved reckless manslaughter and reckless assault charges.
Outside the courthouse, Jimmy McGrathâs father, Kevin McGrath, expressed disbelief over the verdict.
âIâm astonished at the results,â he said. âBut itâs due process. [Valle] is entitled to it. The jury made their decision.â
He admitted he was confident there would be a conviction after learning a verdict had been reached.
âIâm shocked. I thought we were going to get some justice today,â McGrath said. Despite his disappointment, he acknowledged that Valle received a fair trial.
âI donât believe Raul Valle woke up that Saturday morning planning to kill Jimmy,â he added. âThey didnât even know each other. But my son is gone, and the person who took his life is free tonight.â
During the trial, Valle testified that he never intended to harm anyone. He said the fight began at a home on Lazy Brook Road, then continued at a second house party on Laurel Glen Drive. Valle said a friend handed him a knife during the brawl, and that he swung it defensively in a panic as he was being surrounded and attacked. He claimed he briefly lost consciousness during the fight.
McGrath suffered a fatal stab wound to the chest and was pronounced dead later that night.
The McGrath family is now pursuing civil litigation against multiple parties they believe bear responsibility for the events of that evening.
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