The man accused of shooting and killing a nonprofit CEO as he slept in his Fairfax City home will likely not face trial due to mental health reasons.
Joshua Danehower, now 36, is instead expected to be committed indefinitely to a state behavioral health facility under an apparent decision between his attorney and prosecutors that will allow him to plead not guilty for reasons of insanity.
But after three years of waiting — due in part to the removal of the lead prosecutor on the case — family members of Gret Glyer expressed outrage that the case won’t reach a jury for trial, contradicting their wishes conveyed in a Jan. 20 letter to Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Stephen C. Shannon.
“An insanity plea does not serve justice, nor does it give our family closure,” Glyer’s father, mother and sister wrote.
Glyer, then 32, was found shot to death in bed at his Bolton Village Court home on June 24, 2022. He had founded DonorSee, a nonprofit “charitable giving platform” in 2016, and was serving as the organization’s CEO at the time of his death.
Danehower was arrested five days after the killing and charged with second-degree murder. He is believed to have been an ex-boyfriend of Glyer’s wife, Heather, and had been seeking to “reconnect” with her, FOX5 reported.
The Commonwealth Attorney’s Office previously described a premeditated plan organized by Danehower to carry out the crime, according to the family’s letter.
“Prosecutors have described a written murder plan, including a map pin tied to Gret’s location, a list of clothing, a note to shoot quickly, and an escape plan that included disposing of clothing,” the family wrote. “He chose the deep dark of night, entered quietly, carried out the killing, and got away from the scene.”
However, prosecutors now believe they likely wouldn’t be able to secure a conviction in a trial based on two different experts’ assessments of Danehower’s mental status at the time of the killing, according to a spokesperson for the Office of Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano.
“The Glyer family’s hurt and disappointment is completely valid and more than understandable,” the spokesperson said in a statement to FFXnow. “Before today’s hearing, our clinical expert found the defendant to be legally insane at the time of the offense, which now makes two independent experts who have reached that conclusion — these findings mean the Commonwealth would be unable to meet our burden of proof at a trial.”
Glyer’s family has opined that an insanity plea fails to provide justice for their loss.
“Gret’s killer could be released at any time if he is deemed no longer insane,” the family wrote. “This annual process, which relies on the whims of psychiatrists and the questionable resolve of the same prosecutors who agreed to this deal, will likely lead to Mr. Danehower serving very little time in confinement for the murder of our son and brother.”
After a brief hearing this morning (Friday), Danehower is scheduled to next appear in court on Feb. 19 for disposition, when his case is expected to be finalized.
