Preliminary Hearing in Dawson Family Shooting and Death Continued to December on Joint Prosecution/Defense Motion

By mutual agreement of Prosecution and Defense counsel on Thursday, September 26, the Prelimany Hearing in the case of Claude H. Dawson, Jr., 74, related to the July 18th home shooting and subsequent death of his wife Diane Dawson, 71, was continued to December 19, at 11 a.m. in Warren County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. Both Ilona White for the Commonwealth and defense attorney David Downes for Mr. Dawson, indicated a need for additional time, a three-month window was cited, to accumulate a variety of relevant information in support of their respective cases, as well as the avaialability of expert witnesses.

After hearing some detail on the types of evidence still being sought related to medical, forensics, and firearms analysis, as well as a psychological evaluation of the defendant, Judge Lawrence Vance granted the Joint Motion for the three-month continuance. It was noted by counsel and the court that Judge Vance would likely not be presiding over the case when it goes to trial.

Claude Dawson remains free on the $75,000 secured bond granted to him at a September 12 hearing, after initially being booked into RSW Jail on July 27 without bond.

Claude Dawson during his booking into RSW Regional Jail on July 27, nine days after his wife Diane’s death from what he has described as an accidental shooting during attempt to unload his gun in family’s Apple Jack Circle home. Photo RSW Jail website

As previously reported by Royal Examiner: “After extensive inquiries and consultations with the Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office” Claude Dawson was arrested without incident on July 27 on three charges, Involuntary Manslaughter, Reckless Handling of a Firearm, and Shooting in Committing or Attempting a Felony, regarding the July 18 shooting death of his wife Diane Dawson.

As the Criminal Complaint tied to the felony arrest warrant notes, after receiving a report of a shooting at 288 Apple Jack Circle in Linden in eastern Warren County on Thursday, July 18, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office dispatched an investigator to the scene:

“Diane Dawson was located in a bedroom of the reisdence with a gunshot wound to her side/back. Her husband Claude Dawson advised he was sitting in a chair next to the bed. Mrs. Dawson was sitting on the bed a very short distance in front of Mr. Dawson. Mr. Dawson picked up the firearm and pointed the loaded firearm in the direction of Mrs. Dawson as he attempted to unload the firearm he owned. The firearm went off striking Mrs. Dawson.”

Here the Criminal Complaint describes Emergency Medical Services response at the scene: “Mrs. Dawson was tranported by emergency personnel to the hospital to be flown to a trauma center in Fairfax, Virginia. While on the scene of the residence I was notified that Mrs. Dawson had died due to the injuries from the gunshot wound,” the report filed by Investigator C. J. McDaniel states, here adding additional input from Mr. Dawson at the scene.

“Mr. Dawson advised that he has been handling firearms and hunting for many years and has great knowledge of firearms. Mr. Dawson further advised that he was unloading the firearm due to his grandson coming to stay at the residence five days after this incident.”

The nature of the charges thus far filed against Claude Dawson would indicate the prosecution moving with caution in defining his wife’s death as anything other than the horrible accident he described. But might that perspective change once all the above-described medical, forensics, firearms, and psychological analysis’s are received?

As usual, time will tell. And that telling should begin on December 19, during the continued Preliminary Hearing granted to allow both sides adequate time to assemble all their relevant evidentiary analysis of the circumstances surrounding the death of Diane Dawson on July 18.