Second continuance within a week in Tristen Brinklow murder cases

One of two men accused of murdering 20-year-old Tristen Brinklow in September 2019, then concealing and moving his body to a remote location near Diggs Landing in the Rivermont area of the county in a freezer where it was later discovered in a state of decomposition, was in Warren County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon, October 13, by remote video hook up.

However, the scheduled 1:30 p.m. docket hearing of Richard Matthew Crouch, 35 at the time he was charged on December 31, 2019, along with a second defendant, George Lee Good, 28, was continued to November 9 on the 9 a.m. docket. Commonwealth’s Attorney John Bell informed Judge William Sharp that several additional prosecution witnesses had been interviewed that defense counsel Howard Manheimer had yet had an opportunity to review transcripts or video of.

Richard Matthew Crouch / Photo courtesy of RSW Jail

The Winchester-based Manheimer also asked the court to facilitate his client’s transfer from the Culpeper County Jail where is currently being held, to a jail closer to Winchester. Judge Sharp said he was not sure he had the authority to mandate such a transfer and asked Manheimer to research applicable codes to find such authority for him to order Crouch’s transfer to a facility closer to his attorney’s home base.

Speaking to media outside the courtroom following the brief hearing, Manheimer said he did not know why Crouch had been transferred to the Culpeper jail but noted that the distance from his Winchester office complicated communications with his client in preparation for moving forward on the four charges against Crouch, including First Degree Murder. His client also faces felony charges of Abduction by Force, Concealment of a Dead Body, and Physical Defilement of a Dead Body.

While Crouch and Good are initially facing identical charges in the Brinklow murder, their cases have been separated. Good’s charges remain in Warren County General District Court at this point, yet to be forwarded to the grand jury. A scheduled October 7th hearing in Good’s cases was continued to October 30, at 2 p.m., in General District Court.

George Lee Good – Photo/NRADC

Case History

As previously reported by Royal Examiner, files in the case date Brinklow’s murder to September 28-29, 2019. His body was discovered in the Rivermont area of southwestern Warren County just over two months later, on December 2. The body was not identified as Tristen Brinklow until December 16. Crouch and Good were charged for murder in the case on December 31. Both men were incarcerated without bond on unrelated violent crimes at the time the Warren County Sheriff’s Office brought the charges in the Brinklow case against them, Crouch at Rappahannock-Shenandoah-Warren County (RSW) Regional Jail and Good at the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center (NRADC) in Frederick County.

Good was arrested in Frederick County at a DUI checkpoint on December 7. At the time he was wanted in connection with a non-fatal November 27 shooting on the 200 block of Cloud Street in a residential area adjacent to Front Royal’s Downtown Business District.

In that case, Good was charged with Malicious Shooting/Wounding, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, with Front Royal Police noting that further charges were likely forthcoming regarding “other involved individuals”. Other charges against Good include Possession of Schedule 1 or 2 drugs and Probation Violation.

Previous charges listed against Crouch on the RSW website include Possession with Intent to Distribute Schedule 1 or 2 drugs, six remaining strangulation charges of nine he was originally charged with, and Malicious Wounding: Stab or Cut with Malicious Intent.

In the criminal complaints against the men in the Brinklow murder case it is stated that after being informed of his Miranda Right not to self-incriminate, Crouch gave law enforcement officials a description of the circumstance of Brinklow’s death.

Tristen Brinklow, from his Facebook page

“Mathew (sic) Crouch stated that he and George Good physically assaulted and bound Tristan (sic) Brinklow in a residence, within Front Royal. He stated this assault led to the death of Brinklow. Crouch stated they placed Brinklow into a refrigerator and attempted to conceal the refrigerator at Digs Landing by placing vegetation on and around the refrigerator,” the criminal complaints state, adding, “Crouch provided information against his penal interests, while under Miranda Advisement, and provided information not known to the general public but was confirmed by evidence at the crime scene.”