Defendant in stabbing death of prep school lacrosse player acquitted of murder

Raul Valle, accused of stabbing Fairfield, Connecticut prep school lacrosse player James “Jimmy” McGrath to death in March 2022, has been found not guilty on murder and intentional manslaughter charges. 

Valle was also acquitted of first- and second-degree intentional assault. The jury was deadlocked on charges of first-degree reckless manslaughter and first- and second-degree reckless assault. Judge Shari Murphy declared a mistrial on those deadlocked charges.

Valle, now 20, was tearful during an emotional reaction to the verdict. He was 16 when McGrath, 17, was stabbed to death.

McGrath, a student at Fairfield Prep, was killed after a booze-fueled teenage brawl following a house party.

“I think those stories are very compelling for jurors. I think jurors really try to get it right,” Donna Rotunno, criminal defense attorney and Fox News contributor, told Fox News Digital.

“Obviously, there are some cases where maybe that analysis doesn’t fit or somebody makes the claim of self-defense [and] it doesn’t make sense under the law. But … given the way this jury has been out now for a couple of days, and they’re clearly deadlocked … [defense attorneys] have made a compelling argument to at least one or some.”

She added that any time a defendant asserts self-defense, “the burden shifts to you to show that … you were in reasonable fear.”

Valle took the witness stand in his own defense last week, which Rotunno said is “almost necessary” in cases like his.

Valle attended St. Joseph High School in Trumbull near Fairfield Prep, where McGrath was a junior. Both had been at a house party on the evening of May 14, 2022 that involved a fight and underage drinking prior to the stabbing, which occurred at another house party later that night.

Police responded to several 911 calls reporting a fight that occurred just before midnight on May 14, 2022 outside a residence on Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton and found multiple victims on the front lawn.

The owner of the residence where the party took place was home at the time of the incident, according to a warrant.

At one point, there were about 25 people engaged in the fight on the front lawn of the home, witnesses told police.

At least three juvenile suspects are mentioned in the report, including Valle, who is suspected of having a knife. McGrath had “one stab wound to the left side of the chest,” the warrant states.

“The stab wound went through the rib and heart.”

A doctor from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of Connecticut told police that there were approximately 1.8 liters of blood in McGrath’s lungs. 

During his emotional testimony, Valle said he never intended to kill anyone that evening.

He said a friend handed him the knife during a large fight involving dozens of teenagers who surrounded him.

He alleged that at one point during the fight, he lost consciousness.

Valle further said he was swinging the knife in all directions and felt overwhelmed, according to Court TV.

“So I think that it’s very difficult in a self-defense case for a jury to not hear from the defendant,” Rotunno explained.

“Sometimes, you can establish it through other witnesses, but if you have a defendant that can take the stand, and you have somebody who … is going to do a good job telling the jury what happened, I almost think it’s necessary in these cases.”

Rotunno said that “in a melee, you have to remember, you’re talking about split-second situations.”

She noted that at one point during his testimony, Valle was asked whether someone next to him was coming directly at him during the fight, to which he responded that he could not remember.

“I think that for the defense, the best piece of information is just the fact that this is a total fight. You have no idea who’s coming at you. You don’t know what’s going to happen to you. You’re in fear, and you act,” she said.

“And in any circumstance, I understand that the prosecution is going to say, he brought this knife to a fist fight, right? … But just because you have a weapon on you doesn’t mean that there was an intent to use it. And if you’re not the aggressor, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to then defend yourself.”

If the jury does not come to an agreement, the judge may declare a mistrial.

That could result in the case going “back to square one,” Rotunno said.

The defense could also argue for Valle’s release in the case of a mistrial.

A representative from St. Joseph told Fox News Digital in 2022 that Valle had been in good academic standing and had not been in any fights at school before the May 14 incident.

Valle was released on $2 million bond just days after his arrest in May 2022.

An obituary for McGrath described the 17-year-old as the “sunshine” of his parents’ life and his sister’s “best friend and confidant.” 

“Many described Jim as a wonderfully happy person with a big heart who was a loving friend to many,” the obituary states.

“He loved his school, Fairfield Prep, and he excelled as an athlete in every sport he chose. He played football and lacrosse for Fairfield Prep and as a youth for Shelton and Connecticut Wolves as well. He understood the meaning of being part of a team.”