Jimmy McGrath was a 17-year-old Fairfield College Preparatory School student from the Huntington section of Shelton, Connecticut, who was fatally stabbed on May 15, 2022, during a house party on Laurel Glen Drive. Raul Valle, then 16, was charged with his murder. In July 2025 a jury acquitted Valle of murder and the other intentional charges but deadlocked on the lesser reckless counts, and a retrial on those counts is now waiting on a judge’s ruling. Several civil lawsuits brought by the McGrath family and the families of three surviving victims remain in various stages, with one settlement of roughly $1.5 million already reached.
What Happened at the Party
On the evening of May 14, 2022, Tyler Rich hosted about 30 teenagers at his parents’ home at 43 Laurel Glen Drive in Shelton while his parents were away. The teens were drinking beer and seltzers.1Connecticut News 12. Shelton Party Host, Witnesses Testify About Fatal Stabbing of Fairfield Prep Student Raul Valle and his friend Tyler DaSilva, both students at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, arrived uninvited. Rich asked them to leave, pointing to an earlier incident in which Valle and DaSilva had beaten up his friend Ryan Heinz at a separate location on Lazy Brook Road.2NBC Connecticut. Host of Deadly Party Testifies, Hearing James McGrath Take Last Breath
Confrontations escalated across the night. Valle and DaSilva drove up and down the road in a Honda Pilot, throwing cans. When they returned on foot, Rich sprayed Valle with WD-40, DaSilva shoved Rich, and Rich punched Valle in the face. A brawl broke out, and in the fight Valle stabbed four teenagers.1Connecticut News 12. Shelton Party Host, Witnesses Testify About Fatal Stabbing of Fairfield Prep Student
Thomas Connery took four stab wounds to his thigh, severe enough that an officer applied a tourniquet.3WFSB. Day 4: House Party Murder Trial Jurors Hear Other Stabbing Victims Ryan Heinz was stabbed three times in the chest, puncturing a lung. Faison Teele was stabbed in the arm.2NBC Connecticut. Host of Deadly Party Testifies, Hearing James McGrath Take Last Breath Jimmy McGrath was stabbed in the chest. Charlie Connery, Thomas’s brother, testified that he saw Valle stab McGrath in the upper chest after yelling that Valle had a knife, and said Valle went at McGrath “with a purpose.”4Court TV. CT v. Raul Valle Preppy Party Murder Trial McGrath was the only person killed.
Who Jimmy McGrath Was
James Thomas McGrath was born on December 18, 2004, to Margaret and Kevin McGrath. He grew up in Huntington and had a younger sister, Rose. At Fairfield Prep he played football and lacrosse, and he competed for youth teams including the Shelton program and the Connecticut Wolves.5Abriola Funeral Home. James McGrath Obituary6NBC Connecticut. Inside Raul Valle Trial: Family of James McGrath Murder Trial Experience7Court TV. Jimmy McGrath’s Father Speaks Out After Verdict in Raul Valle’s Trial
The Murder Trial and Verdict
Valle was charged with murder in McGrath’s death and with assault charges for the injuries to Heinz, Connery, and Teele. The case went to trial in June 2025 before Judge Shari Murphy at Connecticut Superior Court in Milford and ran for eight days, drawing heavy coverage as the “preppy party murder” case.8Fox News. Preppy Party Murder Suspect’s Lawyer Says Client’s Testimony Key to Acquittal
Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Marc Durso argued that Valle’s actions were “retaliatory, not self-defense,” telling jurors, “You can’t bring a weapon to a fist fight.”9NBC Connecticut. Closing Arguments in Raul Valle Trial Two witnesses, Jack Snyder and Tyler DaSilva, testified under full immunity. Snyder, who had refused to speak with police for six months, admitted giving Valle the knife; defense attorney Kevin Smith noted Snyder could have been charged as an accessory without the deal.10Connecticut News 12. Friend Who Gave Raul Valle Knife Before Deadly Stabbing Testifies Under Immunity DaSilva confirmed that Valle asked Snyder for the knife in his presence.11CT Post. Raul Valle Murder Trial, James McGrath, Day 7
The defense ran on self-defense, and Valle took the stand. He testified that he did not bring the knife, that Snyder tossed it to him, and that he put it in his pocket and went to the party to “make peace.” He said he was surrounded by a “mob,” struck in the head, briefly knocked unconscious, and stabbed blindly in panic to “get them away from me.”12NBC Connecticut. Law Experts Weigh In on Choice for Raul Valle to Testify in Murder Trial4Court TV. CT v. Raul Valle Preppy Party Murder Trial
On July 9, 2025, after about two and a half days of deliberation, the jury found Valle not guilty of murder, intentional first-degree manslaughter in McGrath’s death, intentional first-degree assault against Heinz and Connery, and second-degree assault against Teele.13WTNH. Raul Valle’s Defense Attorney Emotional as He Discusses Murder Case Jury foreman Jim Stuhlman said the jury spent little time on self-defense itself and concluded the state had failed to prove the intent the top charges required, citing “inconsistencies and contradictions” in the prosecution’s case.8Fox News. Preppy Party Murder Suspect’s Lawyer Says Client’s Testimony Key to Acquittal
The jury deadlocked on the lesser reckless counts: reckless manslaughter in McGrath’s death, reckless first-degree assault for Heinz and Connery, and reckless second-degree assault for Teele. The foreman said there was one holdout. The judge declared a partial mistrial on the unresolved charges.14NBC Connecticut. Man Acquitted of Murder of Fairfield Prep Student Expected Back in Court
Where the Retrial Stands
Prosecutors refiled the reckless charges. By October 2025 the case had moved to Judge Kevin Russo in Milford, and Valle was given time to secure new counsel after replacing Kevin Smith with attorney Darnell Crosland. The amended charges are first-degree reckless manslaughter for McGrath’s death, two counts of first-degree reckless assault for Heinz and Connery, and one count of second-degree reckless assault for Teele.15WFSB. Second Trial Begins in Teen Prep School Party Murder Case
Crosland moved to dismiss, arguing that the acquittals on the intentional charges effectively established self-defense and that retrying Valle on reckless versions of the same conduct would violate double jeopardy. Durso argued the jury never actually reached the self-defense question on the lesser charges because it deadlocked first.16Bronx News 12. Judge Hears Arguments on Retrial for Raul Valle in Deadly Stabbing of Jimmy McGrath Judge Russo heard the arguments on June 1, 2026, and said he would issue a written ruling within 90 days. That ruling has not been issued as of mid-2026.17WFSB. Judge to Decide if Raul Valle Retrial Can Proceed
Kevin McGrath has been direct about what the family wants from what remains: “I need to see the conviction. I need to see him leave the courtroom in custody. So he needs to be held accountable for what he did to our son and what he did to our community.”6NBC Connecticut. Inside Raul Valle Trial: Family of James McGrath Murder Trial Experience
The Civil Lawsuits
The McGrath family, represented by attorney Michael J. Rosnick, filed its initial suit in May 2024. It has since been consolidated with civil actions brought by the families of the three surviving victims, Heinz, Connery, and Teele. Rosnick has said the family expects the conclusion of the criminal case to accelerate the civil proceedings.18CT Post. James McGrath, Raul Valle Verdict, Civil Lawsuits
The suits name a wide set of defendants:
- Raul Valle, sued for wrongful death, with the complaint alleging his assault was “willful, wanton and malicious.”
- Former St. Joseph students Tyler DaSilva, Jack Snyder, William Singewald, Keenan Fraczek, and Dimitrios Arfanis, along with their parents, on claims of negligence against the students and parental liability.
- William and Amy DaSilva, Tyler DaSilva’s parents, named in a separate complaint accusing them of recklessness and negligence for allegedly making alcohol available to their minor son, who then distributed it to others.
- Ronald and Stacie Rich, the Laurel Glen Drive homeowners, sued for allegedly failing to supervise the party and knowingly allowing minors to drink. That suit was withdrawn in September 2025 “without costs to any party,” and whether a settlement was reached is not clear from the record.
- Paul and Susanna Leifer, owners of the Lazy Brook Road property where the earlier altercation took place. The claims against them settled for roughly $1.5 million, to be paid to the victims’ families.
18CT Post. James McGrath, Raul Valle Verdict, Civil Lawsuits19New Haven Register. McGrath Family Lawsuit, Stabbing, Rich, Shelton
The Jimmy McGrath Foundation
The McGrath family created the Jimmy McGrath Foundation in his memory. It hosts an annual golf tournament in Fairfield, with the fourth edition held on June 15, 2026, and a concert called the “Jim Jam” at the Fairfield Theatre Company.20WTNH. 4th Annual Jimmy McGrath Foundation Golf Tournament Held in Fairfield Proceeds have gone to Make-A-Wish, local Boys and Girls Clubs, Tunnels to Towers, Bridgeport Youth Lacrosse, and the Wakeman Cowboys junior football program, and the foundation works with area schools and guidance counselors on youth mental health.21CT Post. James McGrath Foundation, Fairfield Prep Kevin McGrath has described the work as turning “pain into purpose.”