OAN Staff Abril Elfi
6:43 PM – Wednesday, July 9, 2025
Raul Valle, the man accused of fatally stabbing prep school lacrosse player James “Jimmy” McGrath, has been found not guilty on murder and intentional manslaughter charges.
Valle is a Connecticut-based man who, at age 16, was charged with the 2022 stabbing death of James “Jimmy” McGrath—a 17-year-old Fairfield Prep student—during a chaotic brawl at a house party.
On Wednesday, Valle was acquitted of first- and second-degree intentional assault. Judge Shari Murphy declared a mistrial on charges of first-degree reckless manslaughter and first- and second-degree reckless assault.
Valle, now 20, was 16 when McGrath, 17, was fatally stabbed to death. McGrath, a Fairfield Prep student, was killed in a drunken teenage brawl after a party at a residence.
The jury was deadlocked 11-1 on Monday and Tuesday before continuing deliberations on Wednesday morning, according to NBC Connecticut. Valle testified at the trial, testifying that the stabbing was self-defense.
Valle went to St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, near Fairfield Prep, where McGrath was a student.
Both had attended a house party on the evening of May 14, 2022, which included a brawl and underage drinking, before the stabbing — which took place at another house party later that night.
Police had responded to a flurry of 911 calls reporting a fight just before midnight that night outside a home on Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton, where they found multiple victims on the front lawn. According to the warrant, the homeowner was present during the party.
Witnesses say there were approximately 25 people involved in the fight on the front lawn of the property at one time. At least three juvenile suspects are named in the report, including Valle, who was accused of possessing a knife. McGrath suffered “one stab wound to the left side of the chest,” according to the warrant. “The stab wound went through the rib and heart.”
A doctor from Connecticut’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner told police that McGrath’s lungs contained “almost 1.8 liters of blood.”
Valle emphasized during his testimony that his intention was never to kill anyone, and that one of his friends had handed him the knife during a fight, which involved dozens of teenagers who surrounded him. Valle also alleged that at one point during the fight, he lost consciousness and was swinging the knife in all directions — feeling overwhelmed.
Valle was eventually released on $2 million bond, just days after his arrest in May 2022.
If he was convicted of the four charges, Valle could have faced a sentence of up to 105 years in prison. He previously rejected a 40-year plea deal, opting to take the case to trial.
Prosecutors informed the court that the state plans to refile the charges on which the jury was unable to reach a verdict. Meanwhile, McGrath’s family has stated that the case is not yet resolved and that they intend to continue seeking justice.
“We will still be pursuing justice to hold anyone that bears any responsibility that led to the chain of events that night, it’s our job to hold them responsible,” Michael Rosnick, who represents the McGrath family, told CT Insider. “That will come with time, and we’re confident that we’ll get there.”
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