Judge refuses to strike evidence in 1980 murder case

A Hanover Circuit Judge refused this evening to strike evidence in a 28-year-old murder case.

The evidence links the abduction of two Hanover girls by John Bradley Crawford to the abduction-murder of 6-year-old Alexander Paul Glanz in 1980.

The motion from Crawford's defense lawyer Ed Riley came as prosecution evidence in the long-ago murder ended today. Fifteen witnesses testified over two days.

"There are more dissimilarities than similarities," Riley argued to Circuit Judge J. Overton Harris.

But Harris said, "I can't say as a matter of law that there is insufficient evidence to send (the case) to the jury."

Little new evidence has emerged in the case, which has twice ended in deadlocked juries.

But the lead witness, a high school friend of Crawford's, for the first time yesterday publicly stated that she recalled Crawford speaking obliquely decades ago of tying up someone who "didn't put up much of a fight."

Glanz' body was found 28 years ago this month a few feet off Cold Harbor Road, his hands and feet tied with rope.

The Henrico youth was apparently sexually assaulted and died of exposure, according to medical evidence in the case.

Riley declined to say whether Crawford will take the stand in his own defense.