Prosecutor aims to prove man battered woman; victim may not testify

July 18--EDWARDSVILLE -- A prosecutor Tuesday told a jury that she expects to prove a man battered a woman, possibly without testimony from the victim.

"She may not be able or willing to help herself," Assistant State's Attorney Morgan Hudson told the jury in her opening statement. Defense attorney, Assistant Public Defender Morgan Hermanson said she plans to prove her client was misidentified.

Hudson is one of the lawyers prosecuting David A. Crowe, 35, of Collinsville, who is accused of beating a woman with his fists in full view of the public. A witness said she saw a man land at least 10 blows to the woman's face. "She was screaming like bloody murder and trying to block it," one witness testified.

The witness said, before the woman jumped out of the car, that she saw the woman in the driver's seat, and the man beating on the door and window on the driver's side. He then went around to the passenger side and got in, and she fell out of the car and onto the pavement.

Crowe is charged with aggravated battery and domestic battery. He is accused of beating the woman April 13, 2017, at East Clay and North Aurora, Collinsville. The alleged beating occurred in front of witnesses who called police.

The man allegedly beat the woman before witnesses intervened, according to testimony. He left in the car, and she crawled to the curb and managed to get to her feet.

Her face was swollen and she was bleeding from a scrape on her shoulder. Still, she tried to get away from a woman who was trying to help, and the victim may not testify. Witnesses were able to describe the car in which the man left, and Crowe was later arrested and charged.

Crowe's bail is set at $110,000. He remains in custody in the Madison County Jail, where he has been held since shortly after the incident. The domestic battery charge alleges the beating took place after Crowe was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery in 2011.

Crowe has a record dating to 2002, when he was convicted of burglary. He also has convictions from criminal sexual abuse, two counts of violation of probation, failure to report a change of address as a sex offender, failure to report weekly, aggravated fleeing, an additional count of burglary, two counts of theft, arson, possession of a controlled substance and 14 misdemeanors, including domestic battery and unlawful possession of hypodermic needles.

Reach reporter Sanford Schmidt at 618-208-6449.

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