Former HdG Resident 5 Months Pregnant When Killed: VA Officials

HENRY COUNTY, VA — A woman who once lived in Havre de Grace was killed this week in Virginia, and her death was ruled a homicide, according to authorities. A man has been charged with murder in her death, and officials said additional charges are possible because she was five months pregnant.

Krystal Anne McReynolds, 34, died from a gunshot wound, the Henry County Sheriff's Office of Virginia reported Friday morning. She had been living in Bassett, Virginia, about 350 miles from Havre de Grace.

Deputies found the 34-year-old woman lying outside 60 Fourth Street in Fieldale, Virginia, where they were called at 9:48 p.m. Tuesday for a report of a person shot. When officials arrived at 9:52 p.m., they said they found McReynolds had been shot at least once in the face.

Neighbors said the house where the shooting occurred was known for drug activity, according to the Martinsville Bulletin, a newspaper in the area.

McReynolds hailed from Havre de Grace and lived in Virginia recently, had two daughters and worked at a convenience store, the newspaper reported. She gave officers information that led them to suspect McDowell, who was not there when officers arrived, the sheriff told the Martinsville Bulletin. Because she was talking, he said the extent of her injuries was not immediately clear to arriving deputies.

She was taken to Sovah Health, an acute-care hospital in Martinsville, Virginia, then was transferred to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital, but authorities said in a statement Wednesday she died from her injuries.

Thomas Christopher McDowell, 35, of Fieldale, Viriginia, has been charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in a felony crime in connection with her death, the sheriff's office reported. He is being held without bail at the Henry County Jail in Virginia.

Since McReynolds was about five months pregnant, authorities said additional charges are possible related to the death of the fetus. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia ruled the cause of death maternal trauma, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. A woman who identified herself as a relative said McReynolds planned to name the child James Bryan McReynolds.

The homicide is still under investigation, and anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Henry County Sheriff's Office at 276-638-8751 or the Crimestoppers Program at 276-632-7463. Those who submit tips to the Crimestoppers Program may qualify for a reward up to $2,500.