NOT GUILTY CT - James McGrath, 17, athlete, fatally stabbed at house party fight, Shelton, May 2022 *ARREST*

[LAborn]

Agreed. The state offered a 40 yr plea deal and got no counter.
Valle should have countered and struck a deal.
I cannot see anything but guilty here unless I am missing something.
The defendant and all the party people that age - lots of them lack impulse control then just add the booze and whatever else.

I don’t know I would look at intent here too. Did Raul intend to kill ? Or just a fight escalated and he went for the knife.
Kind of curious though why at 16/17 you are carrying a knife.
I know Faurfield Prep - it draws from a number of towns. My nephew went there.
I don’t know Trumbull well where Raul is from. Wondering if he needed the knife bc of gang activity in his neighborhood?

My bottom line - I hope racism does not enter into any verdict. And I’m not really sure he should be tried as an adult.
Assuming guilty if I were the deceased parents I might accept 20-25 yrs.
I
Understanding that every kid that age is just one bad decision away from disaster. It does not have to a knife. One quick shove/ punch and you can end up on trial.

Jury of course is always a wild card. But yes sorry this was not settled out of court.
JMO.

The knife belonged to Jack, from witness accounts. Fairly sure he's lying about having had it in his pocket the whole time. And he ASKED for the knife, or said to Jack, "Where's the knife". The testimony of one of the stabbing victims yesterday (who yelled "he has a knife") and also Taylor the young woman both testified that the fight had basically ended, and that's when he went to the car and came back and killed Jimmy and stabbed the others. He was lunging at people to stab them because after the friend yelled he has a knife, people started to retreat. He stabbed Jimmy right in the chest, to me that shows intent to kill. The wounds weren't slashing wounds, they were direct and deep.

They try mass shooters as adults too, I don't see any difference here, his objective was the same imo.

I knew nothing about this trial when I started to watch it, and after the first 2 days of testimony the picture of what happened was really clear to me. All the witnesses that followed just bolstered that picture.

Since he turned down two 40 year plea deals, I hope he's found guilty and gets the maximum. He is a sociopath and a danger to society. Hearing his girlfriend's testimony cemented it for me.

 

[Seattle1]

Law experts weigh in on choice to have Raul Valle testify in own murder trial

The man accused of stabbing and killing a Shelton teenager took the stand in his own trial on Monday. Raul Valle started to testify in his own defense as he faces a murder charge in the death of 17-year-old James McGrath. Law experts say it’s a highly unusual and risky move to have Valle testify...

www.nbcconnecticut.com

6/30/25

During the trial, Valle was seen being emotional and shedding tears listening to witness testimony against him.

On the stand, he was soft-spoken at times and was asked to speak up multiple times.

Criminal defense attorney Jim Bergenn said the move to have Valle testify may be rooted in showing his character and drawing sympathy.

“He’s not talking softly because he’s trying to perform. He’s not crying because he’s trying to perform. It doesn’t work, so I think what you’re seeing is who the guy is,” he said.

He said while the evidence against Valle is strong, his age may play a factor in the eyes of jurors who could have children of their own.

“There’s none of us who’s been alive and got a brain operating that thinks a 16-year-old is fully formed,” Bergenn said.

 

[Weki]

The defense has nothing to lose by putting him on the stand. It's a risk worth taking given his age. I'm just catching up here and about to watch the cross exam but if he's just outright lying and his version of events is contradicted by other credible witnesses he will be convicted. But it does't hurt to put him up and gain sympathy points either way IMO. All the defense needs is one juror.

 

[turaj]

Well watched the rest of the direct and then cross...nothing he said or more importantly did not say convinces me he is anything other than guilty. He had no specific intent but had too many options to get out of there...don't know the exact charges but he needs some prison time for a very adult crime. I also question the mother for getting on a plane knowing something was very wrong. As I heard him he told her that he stabbed people but this only seemed to get serious when one died. I am surprised that LE did not ask that he return immediately. He sat there and denied so much that is clear on the videos and in doing so I think insults the jury.

 

[turaj]

I hear no mention of closing arguments just a charge conference. What is that about?
Also regarding his counsel Smith he did his job but get the impression that he and Mr. Valle have no real relationship at all and don't even like each other.

 

[turaj]

The defense has nothing to lose by putting him on the stand. It's a risk worth taking given his age. I'm just catching up here and about to watch the cross exam but if he's just outright lying and his version of events is contradicted by other credible witnesses he will be convicted. But it does't hurt to put him up and gain sympathy points either way IMO. All the defense needs is one juror.

be interested in other's reactions to his testimony. I did not. feel the sympathy that I thought I might with him.Too many lies and no real admission of doing anything. It was an odd vibe with him up there.

 

[Weki]

be interested in other's reactions to his testimony. I did not. feel the sympathy that I thought I might with him.Too many lies and no real admission of doing anything. It was an odd vibe with him up there.

Yeah a few minutes into the cross and the prosecutor has done a lot already to discredit him by getting him to say what was depicted on the video is not what was happening. Him wearing a helmet that night is also weird - visual demonstration of his social alienation. His affect on the stand seems detached to me. This is a troubled young man no doubt about it. If this were just a fight that got outta hand and the full weight of what he's up against was weighing on him he would be trembling on that stand. JMO

 

[turaj]

Yeah a few minutes into the cross and the prosecutor has done a lot already to discredit him by getting him to say what was depicted on the video is not what was happening. Him wearing a helmet that night is also weird - visual demonstration of his social alienation. His affect on the stand seems detached to me. This is a troubled young man no doubt about it. If this were just a fight that got outta hand and the full weight of what he's up against was weighing on him he would be trembling on that stand. JMO

seems like he turned on some tears today. It annoys me that a straight question yes or no and he will continue with the no until finally answers yes. His deceptive scale requires no lie detector test.

 

[Weki]

seems like he turned on some tears today. It annoys me that a straight question yes or no and he will continue with the no until finally answers yes. His deceptive scale requires no lie detector test.

Yeah it's hard to appear sympathetic when you're doing verbal jiu jitsu with the prosecutor. He can't help himself. Yet again another defendant foiled by arrogance.

 

[turaj]

Yeah it's hard to appear sympathetic when you're doing verbal jiu jitsu with the prosecutor. He can't help himself. Yet again another defendant foiled by arrogance.

I really think that the only ones telling more or less the truth as they remember it were the ones that got immunity. The rest with their "2 beers" are not believable.

 

[waldojabba]

6/30/25

Raul Valle Testifies He ‘Was Not Trained to Use A Knife’​

I have not been able to watch the testimony due to other obligations but this clip breaks my heart.
He is so young and lost.
JMO

 

[waldojabba]

Yeah a few minutes into the cross and the prosecutor has done a lot already to discredit him by getting him to say what was depicted on the video is not what was happening. Him wearing a helmet that night is also weird - visual demonstration of his social alienation. His affect on the stand seems detached to me. This is a troubled young man no doubt about it. If this were just a fight that got outta hand and the full weight of what he's up against was weighing on him he would be trembling on that stand. JMO

BBM
Detachment goes along with depression in many people and watching this kid I'd say he is probably clinically depressed. Its like he's detached from himself/his being has left his body and he is just going through the motions like its one big bad dream.
Think about his isolation - one day he is a 16 yr old going to high school - recruited to St Joe's to play football - cute cheerleader girlfriend - then that night happens /he stabs and inadvertently kills another boy / and he is an outcast.
No more school. He does not work and he does not go to school. All the kids avoid him.
I cannot imagine what its like at home watching his brothers do normal guy stuff while he has nothing.
The fact that he cannot even make his voice heard or loud enough is like he just wants to shrink so small that no one sees him or knows he is there.
So yes he is troubled - but I think by his isolation and his inability to navigate /process the terrible situation he put himself in.
Hopefully in jail they will have a good shrink or two and programs/mentorship etc.
Life changed for him in the blink of an eye - the rebuilding will take years
JMO

 

[LAborn]

be interested in other's reactions to his testimony. I did not. feel the sympathy that I thought I might with him.Too many lies and no real admission of doing anything. It was an odd vibe with him up there.

My impression is the innocent act and lying is something he's done maybe all his life to get out of trouble, with mom, with girlfriends, with teachers, etc. With every witness testifying to his guilt, and him the single defense witness, I frankly don't see how the jury could find him anything but guilty. He wasn't believable at all because he's clearly lying. They showed the videos and we're not supposed to believe our own eyes or eye witness accounts but believe him?!? Please. I agree he has an odd vibe. I personally think he's a psychopath.

 

[LAborn]

I really think that the only ones telling more or less the truth as they remember it were the ones that got immunity. The rest with their "2 beers" are not believable.

If you take everyone's testimony as pieces to the larger puzzle you'll see they create the larger truth. All of them are sharing their POV and to me they were all believable. And had incredible presence considering the hell they lived through. Valle isn't believable at all.

 

[Seattle1]

I have not been able to watch the testimony due to other obligations but this clip breaks my heart.
He is so young and lost.
JMO

Agree!

As I've said before, I think it's undisputed that RV is guilty of causing the death and injury of the victims but in watching his testimony, I do find it telling that his young, shy, demeanor didn't change between direct and cross-examination-- no matter how hard the prosecutor tried to rattle him with rapid-fire style of questioning, and the recharacterizing of his testimony. I don't think anybody can accuse RV of being coached or appearing rehearsed!

the same was true when he was being questioned by his girlfriend by text. No swearing, no fighting words. "Detached" is a good description.

I also think all of the young witnesses testified to what they believed to be true, and not necessarily what occurred, as supported by the evidence. I think they all felt a need to especially distance themselves from the defendant-- perhaps fearful of the McGraths who are understandably hurting, and perhaps channeling that hurt through the civil courts. IMO, there's some irony here given the SJH connection.

For example, it doesn't follow that RV's former girlfriend would crawl into the cargo area of the SUV, allegedly to hide from view when there was a large teen (football player) already back there-- yet RV testified they had 4 in the rear seat and she was sitting on his lap. Not saying MT didn't jump over to the cargo area but it seems such a nonissue for either party to conflict.

Regardless, I'm aware that in CT, the judge is primarily responsible for deciding the penalty or sentence, and why I thought it important for the young defendant to testify. From a 40-year offer to a recommendation of 60 years-- for a teen offender, I just can't make any sense of this prosecutor!

MOO

 

[Seattle1]

DAILY TRIAL UPDATES​

DAY 10 – 7/3/25​

• Court will resume on Thursday, July 3.

DAY 9 – 7/1/25​

• VIDEO: CT v. Raul Valle | Preppy Party Murder Trial Day 9
• Raul Valle returned to the stand to continue his testimony on direct.
  • Valle described being surrounded by a mob of people and said they hit him all over his body. He said that at one point, he lost consciousness after he was hit in the head.
    • WATCH: Raul Valle Describes Deadly Fight: ‘Everything Just Went Black’
  • Valle said he was scared and took the knife and stabbed without any real direction.
  • Valle was extremly emotional while testifying, saying he felt like he couldn’t just leave the scene because he had to go back to help his friend, who was also getting beat up.
  • Valle said he lost the knife on the ground when he fell and scraped his hands and denied ever going back to find it.
  • Valle fought with his then-girlfriend, who was angry at him over the fights and was texting him that other people were texting her about it.
  • Valle decided to travel to Florida with his mother and brother, and returned a few days later.
  • When Valle’s parents were contacted by police and an arrest warrant was issued, Valle turned himself in.
  • Valle denied wanting to hurt any of the victims, saying he just wanted to “get them away from me.”
• Prosecutors walked Valle through a video of the fight frame by frame as they disputed much of his version of the events.
  • WATCH: Prosecutor Challenges Raul Valle’s Version of Events
• After the jury was dismissed for the day, both sides argued for and against a judgment of acquittal. The judge is taking it under consideration until the jury comes back with a verdict.

CT v. Raul Valle: Preppy Party Murder Trial

Raul Valle is on trial for murder after a stabbing at a high school party left a 17-year-old lacrosse player dead and three others injured.

www.courttv.com

 

[Seattle1]

I hear no mention of closing arguments just a charge conference. What is that about?
Also regarding his counsel Smith he did his job but get the impression that he and Mr. Valle have no real relationship at all and don't even like each other.

Court will not be in session Wednesday: Closing arguments and jury instructions are scheduled for Thursday.

https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/fairfield/man-accused-in-shelton-teens-death-at-house-party-to-testify-again-tuesday/

ETA: It appears Attorney Smith and Valle inherited each other. Seems he was first represented by Norm Pattis, and was probably passed on to Smith when Pattis law license was suspended. Pattis appealed the suspension and the appeals court overturned the decision in 2024.

 

[Seattle1]

Defense rests after Valle recalls Shelton fight that led to teen’s stabbing death

The defendant returned to the stand Tuesday morning where he told the jury he felt “terrified” and “hopeless” on the night of May 14, 2022, during a fight outside a home on Laurel Glen Drive.

connecticut.news12.com

7/1/25

 

[turaj]

not too many interested here in this trial..I think his attorney is doing a good job but he should be found guilty.

 

[Seattle1]

Jury in Raul Valle murder trial to get case Thursday after closing arguments

During the trial, the jury heard from 26 witnesses over the course of nine days.

connecticut.news12.com

7/3/25

The jury will have to determine whether Valle intended to kill or harm anyone that night. If they find Valle guilty of murder, he faces up to 60 years in prison. If they find Valle not guilty of murder, it’s possible the judge will instruct the jury to consider a lesser charge. First-degree manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.