The mother and sister of Ryann Bunnell Crow told authorities
when they reported her missing that her husband had abused her in
the past, according to a search warrant released Tuesday.
Virginia Hennessey
The mother and sister of Ryann Bunnell Crow told authorities when they reported her missing that her husband had abused her in the past, according to a search warrant released Tuesday.
Jesse Crow, 33, of Prunedale is charged with murdering his 23-year-old wife, who remains missing.
A judge may rule this morning on media requests to unseal other warrants in the case. Both the prosecution and defense are objecting to the requests by The Monterey Herald and other news outlets.
Crow, 33, is scheduled to appear before Judge Russell Scott this morning for confirmation or rescheduling of his preliminary hearing, which is currently set for Friday.
Police have said they have blood and DNA evidence supporting their conclusion that Crow killed his wife and District Attorney Dean Flippo has stated there is “persuasive evidence” of a motive, though that has not been revealed.
Ryann Crow was last seen Jan. 30 driving in the vicinity of her in-laws’ Langley Canyon Road property. Her family reported her missing Feb. 2 after she missed two days of work and a family party.
Her white 2002 Chevy Malibu was found Feb. 9 in Foster City. A week later, police arrested Jesse Crow and charged him with his wife’s murder. He is being held in Monterey County Jail in lieu of $3 million.
On Tuesday, with Judge Scott’s approval, Monterey County Superior Court released documents related to a Feb. 2 search of Jesse Crow’s home, in the 7600 block of Chester Drive in Prunedale.
According to the probable-cause statement filed to support the search warrant, sheriff’s deputies went to the home after Ryann Crow’s sister, Shelley Bunnell, reported her missing. Bunnell wanted her sister’s husband questioned.
Arriving at the scene, deputy Michael Smith found Bunnell, her mother, Pamela Pipitoni, and Jesse Crow at the head of the driveway. The women said Crow abused his wife in the past, though it had not been reported.
That night, they told Smith, they followed Crow to a storage unit. They asked him to go home and await the police. Crow initially refused. However, Pipitoni and Bunnell followed him when he left and he went to the house, where they blocked his truck in the driveway.
Crow told Smith his wife had come to the house for about 45 minutes on Jan. 30 and left without incident in her own car. He was resistant when asked if deputies could check his house to make sure his wife wasn’t there.
Pipitoni then told Smith that Crow had no job but plenty of money and that his father owned a medical marijuana cooperative in Soledad.
Crow told Smith he had a medical marijuana prescription and that recent court rulings permitted him to grow an unlimited number of plants. He eventually agreed to let deputies search his house if they stayed out of the bedrooms.
Inside deputies saw equipment associated with a marijuana grow and smelled the strong aroma of marijuana.
They confirmed Crow’s wife was not in the house and then left to obtain the search warrant. During the subsequent search, deputies seized more than 300 marijuana plants and more than 5 pounds of dried marijuana.
Also found was a physician’s statement and a medical marijuana card. Crow has not been charged with illegal marijuana cultivation.
Sheriff’s deputies have subsequently scoured numerous sites, including Crow’s parents’ Langley Canyon property, in the search for what they believe will be her body. Those search warrants have been sealed.
