Ryan Mehaffey for Spotsylvania

05/12/2026

On May 11, 2026, the Court of Appeals of Virginia affirmed Kenneth Ray Atkins’ active 35 year sentence for sexually assaulting a young girl.

The young girl was forensically interviewed at the Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center, which is an important community resource for forensically interviewing children that are suspected of being victims of abuse. The case was prosecuted by ACA Joshua Parrett and investigated by Det. A. Bradley of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff. Well done to all involved. The investigation and prosecution of child sexual assault cases is notoriously difficult.

05/05/2026

On May 4, 2026, Kimori Snead was sentenced to an active 15 years in prison for his role in the Olde Greenwich shootout. The argued sentence significantly exceeded the high end of his sentencing guidelines. Snead was earlier convicted of Robbery with a Firearm (Accomplice), Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, and Concealing Evidence of a Violent Crime. He is the third of five codefendants to be sentenced.

Evidence forensically recovered from phone extractions showed Snead coordinated with Chase Feaster to meet at a location near Snead’s home while also coordinating with his codefendants, the Fitz brothers, to “bag” Feaster. “Bag” is slang for rob. The Fitz brothers armed themselves with fi****ms from Snead’s home before the incident, according to trial testimony and recovered text messages. Snead was not present at the shootout, but two of the fi****ms used in the shootout were found hidden in Snead’s home during a search warrant afterwards. Phone evidence presented at sentencing showed Snead had more than 10 conversations in his phone relating to “bagging” people, going as far back as February 2024.

Thank you to DCA Kelly Green for capably arguing the sentence and Det. Medina of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff for presenting the forensic phone evidence at sentencing.

04/25/2026

On April 23, 2026, a jury convicted Jahvel Littleford of a number of offenses including Aggravated Malicious Wounding and Conspiracy. The jury deliberated for only about 45 minutes.

The overwhelming evidence showed Littleford and his codefendant shot a young lady seven times during a coordinated robbery. She survived but has metal rods and lasting permanent injury.

This case is a great example of a confluence of great work coming together as it should. Det. Allison forensically extracted powerful digital evidence of a coordinated conspiracy. Det. Hager provided expert testimony regarding the use and meaning of slang terms such as “bag”, “dawg”, and “iron,” occurring within the messages that were forensically recovered. Det. Jaques and Det. Handy forensically recovered cartridge casings that were able to be particularized to two fi****ms used in the offense after a ballistic analysis at the Department of Forensic Science. And Deputy CA Kelly Green and ACA David Livermon of the Spotsylvania Commonwealth’s Attorney Major Crimes Unit put the evidence together seamlessly during trial.

Thank you very much to these professionals and to all who contributed to justice in this case.

04/19/2026

Vote “No” Gerrymandering on April 21.

Google “gerrymandering”: “Gerrymandering is the deliberate manipulation of electoral district boundaries to give one political party or group an unfair advantage. By packing opponents into few districts or cracking them across many, it enables parties to secure more seats than their actual voter support warrants. It undermines fair representation and often results in bizarre, non-compact, or oddly-shaped districts.”

Spotsylvania’s proposed congressional district is depicted.

“Wrong is wrong, even if everyone is doing it; right is right, even if no one is doing it”
- Saint Augustine

Gerrymandering is wrong. Vote “No.”

04/08/2026

On April 7, 2026, a City of Fredericksburg jury convicted Lawrence Dale Toler of Attempted Murder and several other serious felony offenses. Additionally, he was convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Violent Convicted Felon after a concurrent bench trial.

The trial evidence showed that when the Spotsylvania Street Crimes Unit contained Toler’s vehicle on the county border near the Spotsylvania mall to arrest him on open warrants, Toler drew a pistol and aimed it directly at Sergeant Piersol of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff. But before Toler could get his shot off, the Street Crimes Unit suppressed his assault with defensive fire. Toler was shot in the head and arrested by the Spotsylvania Street Crimes Unit in the concurrent jurisdiction of the City of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County.

The heroic actions of the Spotsylvania Street Crimes Unit secured the arrest of a fugitive from justice that was armed and dangerous. They skillfully prevented Toler from escaping into the area of the Spotsylvania mall with a loaded pistol and a collapsible Kel-Tec rifle with an extended .40 magazine. The Street Crimes Unit routinely protects our community through unnoticed, thankless, and incredibly dangerous operations. Sgt. Piersol, Dep. Jurgens, Dep. Kim, Sgt. Cabrera, Dep. Farner, and Dep. Wichowski should be highly commended for their bravery and willingness to risk their lives in protection of our community.

I would also like to thank and commend my colleague and trial partner, Libby Humphries, Commonwealth’s Attorney for the City of Fredericksburg, for bringing Toler to justice.

04/05/2026

Something is stirring in our society. The Easter Vigil Mass for St. Mary’s in Fredericksburg was four hours long. It’s always long, but there were an astonishing number of baptisms and confirmations. The Body of Christ is growing.

Evil many times is seductive and pleasurable. It is alluring and insidious. If sin wasn’t so, it would not be tempting. But as it captivates, it shackles and chains. You become its slave and you lie to yourself that you are free. You find yourself hopelessly bound to it. Anxiety and tumult take over in the heart, which over time give way to hardness, depression and ultimately despair. It was always a lie.

But many people have travelled the path of dissipation and licentiousness long enough. They see now clearly that it leads nowhere but to slavery to sin, emptiness and destruction. Our society is looking for the Truth, having tested the lies and finding them wanting. Thanks be to God!

The truth is that Jesus Christ loves each and every person so much that he will bear all hate, humiliation, torture, and death. He will endure and absorb every evil you allow him to take, and in return give you his purity and righteousness, not because you deserve it, but because he loves you, even when you hate him. He is mercy. He is not merciful. He is mercy itself. There is no other mercy. Go to him. He has died and come back to life. If you die with him, by giving yourself to him, to mercy, without reservation, you will also rise with him in the fullness of who you were created by Him to be.

That is the promise and power of His resurrection on Easter Sunday! May Jesus bless you all!

03/24/2026

There can be no tolerance for people allowing narcotics to be around children. It’s incredibly dangerous and some people don’t appreciate the danger. It is not rare for small children to overdose and die. But, that loss of innocent life is completely avoidable. Those who chose to endanger children should be prepared to be held accountable for the consequences of their actions.

Thank you to Senior Deputy CA Crystal Montague Holland and Lieutenant Tillman of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff for their work on this case.

A Spotsylvania father, 25-year-old Cinceir Croxton, will spend 20 years in prison for the death of his 2-year-old son who died with co***ne in his system.

03/20/2026

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Steven Fredeen graduated from the Rappahannock Regional Veteran’s Treatment Docket on 3/19/26.

After a distinguished 30-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, he was on the verge of liver failure when he was arrested on 7/19/24 for DUI by a Virginia State Trooper on I-95. But for that arrest, it is possible, perhaps likely, that he would not have seen the day of his graduation. But, he is now healthy and thriving after working diligently through this specialty docket.

Spotsylvania County is blessed to have examples like Lt. Col. (Ret.) Fredeen, who show that anyone can be touched by chemical dependency, and, what’s more, can work their way through it and thrive, if they are determined to put in the effort each day like him.

This graduation is a great example of the many successful participants in the three regional specialty docket programs in Spotsylvania County - the Veteran’s Treatment Docket (veterans), the Behavioral Health Docket (mental health), and Recovery Court (addiction).

Thank you to all who attended, in particular Sheriff Decatur and Supervisor Goosman, who made time to come.

Office of Stafford County Sheriff - David "DP" Decatur, Sheriff

David Goosman for Berkeley BOS

03/19/2026

On 3/19/26, Christopher Moore was sentenced to an indeterminate commitment in the Department of Juvenile Justice and a 20 year suspended adult prison sentence for his role in the Olde Greenwich shootout. He is the second of five codefendants to be sentenced.

Moore plead guilty to Accessory to Robbery and Unlawful Assembly. Moore is the youngest, most penitent, and least culpable of the defendants. He had just turned 16 at the time.

Moore was tagging along with his older uncle, Alonzo Goffney, when the Fitz brothers picked Moore and Goffney up in Sincere Fitz’s red Mercedes. Goffney and Sincere Fitz (both deceased) were high school friends. At the trial of Soulier, Moore credibly testified that he did not know Snead and the Fitz brothers were planning to rob Chase Feaster until it was too late to get out of the car. Cell phone extractions of communications between the defendants supported Moore’s testimony. Moore testified that he did not have a gun at the time of the robbery even though Darius Fitz tried to give him one. There was no evidence that Moore or Goffney fired a gun. Moore was trapped in the red Mercedes and shot in the face and chest by the opposing group. He watched his uncle die sitting beside him in the back seat.

Moore is a cautionary tale about taking care to surround yourself with positive people that are doing positive things in their life.

03/16/2026

On 3/13/26, Jeremiah Upson (tan sweats) was sentenced to an active 25 years in prison for Second Degree Felony Murder, Paramilitary Activity, and Selling a Handgun to a Minor. His sentence slightly exceeded the high end of the sentencing guidelines. Upson pleaded guilty and credibly expressed remorse for his conduct at sentencing.

Upson is the first of five codefendants to be sentenced from a terrifying shootout in Olde Greenwich last year that left three young men dead. The evidence presented at the trial of a codefendant supported Upson fleeing to safety between townhomes and repeatedly firing an AR-style rifle from cover.

Det. T.J. Medina of the Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office - Roger L. Harris Sheriff and Chief Deputy CA Jeff Adams presented the Commonwealth’s evidence for sentencing. Thank you to all who contributed to justice in this case.

03/16/2026

On 3/16/26, Dion Lamont Parker was sentenced to an active 15 years in prison for Robbery. A Spotsylvania jury convicted him earlier this year. This was Parker’s fourth conviction for Robbery (two were in Maryland). His sentence exceeded the high end of his guidelines by about 5 years.

Four robberies is four too many, and the person he robbed this time has lasting injuries from him knocking her down as he fled.

The case was tried to a jury by Deputy CA Alex Vakos, and sentence was capably argued by Assistant CA Jesse Brouillette. Thank you to all who contributed to bringing him to justice.