In the quiet community of Fieldale, Virginia, a tragic story unfolded on the evening of February 18, 2020, forever altering the lives of a local family. On that Tuesday night, at approximately 9:48 p.m., emergency services received a distressing call about a shooting that had occurred outside a residence on Fourth Street. First responders arrived to find 34-year-old Krystal Anne McReynolds, a resident of nearby Bassett, suffering from a gunshot wound to her face.
Krystal, a White female
who was between four and five months pregnant, was in critical condition. She was immediately rushed to SOVAH Health in Martinsville for initial treatment and then transferred to the specialized trauma center at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. Despite the exhaustive efforts of medical professionals, Krystal succumbed to her severe injuries the following day. Tragically, her unborn child also did not survive, passing away as a result of maternal trauma. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the Western District of Virginia later officially ruled both deaths as homicides, confirming that Krystal's death was a direct result of the gunshot wound.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led the Henry County Sheriff's Office to a suspect. Thomas Christopher McDowell, a 35-year-old man from Fieldale, was identified and taken into custody. Initially, McDowell faced charges of aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Following Krystal's and her unborn child's deaths, the severity of the charges against him was rightfully escalated.
McDowell's charges were upgraded to second-degree murder and the use of a firearm during the commission of murder. He was subsequently incarcerated at the Henry County Jail, where he was held without bond. The Henry County Sheriff's Office, in collaboration with the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, continued their investigation to determine if any further or enhanced charges would be brought against him in connection with the heartbreaking loss of the unborn baby. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that claimed two lives, a mother and her child, in one devastating act.
