Judge: Suspect in McGrath stabbing death can attend church services

MILFORD— The teenager accused of murder in the death of Fairfield Prep student James McGrath will return to court next month after getting permission from a judge Wednesday to attend religious services.

Raul Valle, 17, appeared briefly before Judge Peter Brown Wednesday at Milford Superior Court, where Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso told the judge he had a “productive meeting” with Valle’s lawyer, Kevin Smith.

The prosecutor said he would work in the coming weeks to get any remaining discovery evidence to Smith.

During the hearing Valle’s lawyer also asked the judge to allow his client, who is under house arrest with GPS monitoring, to attend church services.

Durso did not object to the request, so long as it was limited to one day per week, and the judge granted it after telling Smith to let probation officials monitoring Valle’s GPS know when and where he would be going to church.

Valle, a former student of St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, is accused of fatally stabbing McGrath during a house party in Shelton in May. Police said McGrath, a Shelton resident, and three others suffered stab wounds after a fight broke out at the party.

McGrath’s parents attended Wednesday’s hearing with their lawyer, Michael Rosnick, but declined to comment afterward.

Valle was charged on May 18 with murder and three counts of first-degree assault in connection with McGrath’s death. He was initially held on a $2 million bond, but was released after posting bond the week after his arrest. Valle has not yet entered a plea to his charges.

At a brief hearing in July, the judge approved a request to allow Valle to be outside his home prior to 6 p.m. Brown also said he didn’t want Valle to have access to the internet and wanted his cellphone turned over to his parents.