WHYTHE COUNTY, Va. – A Wythe County man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of his estranged wife, according to the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office.
Steven Crouse was sentenced by The Wythe County Circuit Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2020 to murdering his estranged wife, Peggy Crouse.
Recommended Videos
On June 8. 2019, deputies said they found Peggy’s body in the Crawfish area of Wythe County with a gunshot wound from her back through her chest.
This comes after she left the defendant’s home to stay with her daughter a week before, according to deputies.
Deputies said they found Peggy’s purse in a building next to the defendant’s home with the keys to her and her daughter’s apartment inside.
The daughter told deputies that she had last seen her mother that morning with the keys when she headed off to work.
Crouse was sentenced on the following charges:
- 17 years for second-degree murder
- 3 years for one count of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony
“This is a case where Ms. Crouse had the courage to leave an abusive relationship and was trying to start her life anew. The defendant did not let that happen. Instead, he shot and killed her in the most cowardly way, in the back. The sentence the defendant received today will all but assure that he dies in prison. He is of poor health and 20 years in prison will likely be the end of him. Without the hard work and determination of the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office and the Smyth County Sheriff’s Office this case might not have been solved. My heartfelt thanks go out to both agencies,” Mike Jones, Commonwealth’s Attorney, said.