Twin Suspect Released, Judge Drops Murder Case

June 8, 2016, 4:03 PM HST
* Updated June 9, 2:49 PM

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Judge Blaine Kobayashi said evidence presented during today’s preliminary hearing fails to support a finding of probable cause.

The defendant, 37-year-old Alexandria Duval (also known as Allison Dadow) was ordered to be discharged. She was charged with second degree murder in the death of her twin sister, Anastasia Duval (also known as Ann Dadow).

Alexandria was involved in a deadly crash reported last week that claimed the life of her twin sister in the remote Puʻuiki area of East Maui, in which a vehicle plunged 200 feet off a cliff from the Hāna Highway.

“We’re grateful this judge got it,” said Todd Eddins, Attorney for the defense after the hearing. “This was a tragic accident. It was not a homicide. It was not a crime. This judge understood the evidence and we’re just grateful that he got it.”

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Eddins said his client has “been in shock” since the event. “She’s still trying to process what transpired here now. She’s obviously elated.” said Eddins.

According to Eddins, plans for Anastasia Duval (Ann Dadow) are still in the works for Upstate New York and that the hopes are that Alexandria can make it home to attend.

“There was another case that she had with her and her sister–another brush with the law–so that case is in the system and we’re trying to work out where that case is resolved so that she can go home,” said Eddins. When we asked him what type of case was pending, he said he believed it was for disorderly conduct, but he was not certain.

Alexandria was released at the Maui Police Station this evening. A bail bondsman posted $4,000 bail for a total of three separate traffic items.

Her attorney drove her in her orange Maui Community Correctional Center jumpsuit to MCCC to pick up her belongings.

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When Maui Now asked Alexandria for a brief interview she declined saying, “no thank you.”

The prosecution presented four witnesses to testify today including: Chad Smith, a Hāna resident; Officer Chase Bell (responding officer); Officer Lawrence Becraft (with the Maui Police Department’s vehicle homicide unit); and Maui Police Detective Gordon Sagun (who relayed testimony from the doctor who conducted the autopsy in the case).

During testimony, Smith said he was driving and headed to a grave site to meet others when he saw two vehicles coming toward him–one was a white SUV with two “tourist looking ladies within” who he said appeared to be arguing.

Smith said the SUV was going about 15 to 20 mph and that he had to “dodge” the vehicle and go on the grass side of the road because the road was “narrow.” When he parked at the grave site, he said he saw people running to the road.

Officer Bell said he was directed by area residents to the crash site and used a fishing trail to access the shoreline area where the vehicle had landed on a rocky outcropping. He said he observed a heavily damaged vehicle with a rear door missing. According to Bell’s testimony, the vehicle appeared to be new because of paper plates on the rear.

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Officer Becraft said crash analysis data showed the vehicle was going in excess of 40 mph and up to 48 (but the 48 figure need “interpretation “because wheels can spin with hard acceleration) in the seconds before impact with the wall. He also said that the accelerator data showed there was no braking and that at one point the accelerator was pressed “to the floor” with a hard 288-degree turn of the steering wheel in the last second before the air bag deployment.

He noted that there were two points of impact: a frontal deployment when the vehicle struck the rock wall, and a rollover deployment of airbags when the vehicle hit the rock outcropping.

Detective Gordon Sagun testified on behalf of the doctor who conducted the autopsy on Anastasia Duval. According to his testimony, Sagun said Anastasia suffered blunt trauma to her head, chest and extremities including hemorrhages to the brain, a fractured spine and femur and multiple rib fractures.

He said hair was also recovered from both of Anastasia’s hands.

Both prosecuting and defense attorneys presented short closing statements which were followed by a 10 minute recess and the order issued by Judge Kobayashi, discharging the case.

Alexandria Duval (Alison Dadow) (left) was released at the Maui Police Department Wailuku Station this evening. (6.8.16) She then proceeded to MCCC to pickup her belongings. Her attorney Todd Eddins is pictured here (right). Photo by Wendy Osher.

Alexandria Duval (also known as Allison Dadow), 37, was charged with second degree murder in the death of her twin sister, Anastasia Duval (also known as Ann Dadow). The case was discharged today in Second Circuit Court. (6.8.16) Photo by Wendy Osher.