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| Crandell trial set for June 23 |
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| News - Miami County News | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 18 March 2009 09:00 | |||
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The fate of a Paola man accused of ramming his estranged wife’s car and threatening to kill himself in front of her last year may now lie in the hands of 12 individuals, as a jury trial has been scheduled for June. Chad Crandell, 43, has been held in custody at the Miami County Jail since the incident occurred on the morning of Aug. 25, 2008. He is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of aggravated battery, stalking and kidnapping for confining his estranged wife by force or threat with an intent to terrorize. Earlier this month, Miami County Attorney David L. Miller and Crandell’s defense attorney Michael McCulloch of Olathe squared off over whether Crandell should be bound over for trial on all of the charges. District Judge Amy Harth ruled last week that all of the charges are valid, and a jury trial was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. June 23 at the Miami County Courthouse. The trial may take up to four days, according to court records. A pre-trial conference is scheduled to take place at 9:30 a.m. June 16. According to testimonies from witnesses and Miami County Sheriff’s Office personnel during a preliminary hearing in February, Crandell used his truck to ram into the Jeep Liberty that his then wife, Stephanie, was driving to escape from him. The wreck occurred near the intersection of 327th Street and U.S. Highway 169 shortly before 8 a.m. and while Stephanie was frantically talking with a 911 dispatcher on a cell phone while trying to escape. The Jeep was flipped on its side, and Stephanie tearfully testified last month how her distraught husband broke the passenger window with a pistol he was holding, and he then kept her next to the vehicle while he held the gun under his chin toward his head. Stephanie eventually was able to get up and escape. After an ensuing standoff, which involved multiple deputies and a tactical response team, Crandell eventually surrendered peacefully. Stephanie, who has since changed her name back to Stephanie Randall, filed a petition for divorce against her husband two weeks before the incident occurred. She had moved in with other family members earlier that month, and a restraining order also was filed against Chad Crandell before the incident took place, according to court records.
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