2012 murder trial delayed
Jury sent home after alternates dropped
The trial for a Nanjemoy man charged with first-degree murder was expected to begin on Tuesday morning and continue for about two weeks in Charles County Circuit Court, but the jury was sent home after three of the four alternate jurors were dismissed due to scheduling conflicts.
A new jury will be selected to decide the fate of Raymond Daniel Posey III, 24,
who was arrested and held without bond in March 2015 for the alleged murder of Crystal Keyone Anderson. His arrest came three years after her remains were found near Purse State Park in January 2012 by a hiker who noticed a boot with what appeared to be bone inside, months after her disappearance, according to police.
Both the state and defense hope to begin the trial Wednesday; however, the trial may be further delayed due to potential scheduling conflicts with witnesses.
On Aug. 2, 2011, Anderson was reported missing in Prince George’s County, and a detective investigating her disappearance determined she was last seen at a party in Nanjemoy. Despite multi-agency search efforts, she remained missing until the hiker stumbled upon her remains on Jan. 2, 2012.
The following week, detectives methodically excavated a creek bed that spanned more than 1,800 feet and included areas 3 feet deep in mud and silt with the assistance of dogs from Search and Rescue Dogs of Maryland that are specially trained in detecting human remains, a police report states. The wooded area and creek were searched, resulting in the recovery of more remains and the discovery of clothing consistent with what Anderson was last seen wearing.
In the following month, a medical examiner confirmed that the body found was Anderson.
After further investigation, detectives found that Posey was also at the Nanjemoy party where Anderson was last seen and the two knew each other. Based on their findings, detectives believe that Posey robbed and killed Anderson later that evening.
When lead detective John Elliot was asked if they know what Posey tried to take from Anderson during a press conference last year, he replied, “I do. However, I still think maybe there are some witnesses out there that might know what those specific items are. … I really want to talk to them.”
In July 2015, a second suspect was arrested and charged with the first-degree murder of Anderson: Darrayl John Wilson, 25, of Nanjemoy. Authorities have not released any details of Wilson’s alleged involvement, and his trial is scheduled for Oct. 31, per court records.
In a May 2016 indictment, Posey was charged for allegedly attempting to obstruct justice by interfering with witnesses on approximately nine separate occasions, including efforts to influence Wilson through a third party, court records show.
Prosecutors say he was attempting to influence witnesses through jailhouse calls, and after a hearing in June, two men approached a witness outside the courthouse and reportedly offered her $10,000 not to testify. A few weeks later, Charles County Circuit Court Judge James West signed an order that restricted Posey from communicating with anyone other than attorneys while he is confined..