June 2 trial set for child’s murder case

By Kelly Foreman
Register News Writer

Fri, May 16 2008

— The mother and her boyfriend charged with killing 2-year-old Callie Robinson last August will go on trial June 2, Madison Circuit Judge William Jennings said Thursday.
A motion had been filed to continue the trial for V.J. Brinegar, 24, and Ronnie Crabtree, 27, from its original April date after new charges were brought against them in a March superseding indictment. The new charges alleged that in addition to Callie’s murder, the couple had criminally abused her before her Aug. 9, 2007, death.
V.J. Brinegar was Callie’s mother.
During a status hearing for the case Thursday, Brinegar’s attorney, public defender Susanne McCullough, argued that statements made by Richmond Police Detective Eric Long to Brinegar during the course of their police department interview should be excluded. McCullough said she was particularly concerned about comments Long made regarding Brinegar’s son’s statements to police following the death of his sister.
The comments made were the officer’s opinion, she said, and any opinions about them should be decided by a jury.
However, McCullough said as of Thursday, the commonwealth did not intend to put the boy — who was 4 years old when Callie died — on the stand to testify during the trial. Therefore, the defense would not have an opportunity to cross-examine him, she said.
Wes and Valetta Browne, attorneys for Crabtree, also noted their motion to exclude portions of statements made by Brinegar during the same interview with Long. When Jennings asked for an estimate of how long a hearing regarding the motion would take, McCullough said, “They are wanting to redact almost the entire statement Ms. Brinegar has given. I think it will take a couple hours.”
That hearing for attorneys’ motions was scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday, May 23.
Callie Elizabeth Robinson died from asphyxiation, according to autopsy reports. Brinegar and Crabtree initially were indicted in October 2007, each on capital murder charges. According to information in a search warrant executed on the couple’s Barnes Mill home, Callie suffered multiple injuries.
The couple’s case had been held up in court for several months while the commonwealth waited on lab results for evidence. It was continued again in February because of inclement weather and then again in April when defense attorneys asked for more time to prepare in light of the new abuse charges.
Brinegar and Crabtree have been lodged in the Madison County Detention Center since August, each on $250,000 bonds.
Kelly Foreman can be reached at kforeman@richmondregister.com or 624-6694.