Dimitri Oliver, not on the posted docket, was granted a court hearing in Jefferson County Judge Raquel West’s 252nd District court on Feb. 10 to contemplate reducing bond for the man accused in a nearly 13-year-old murder of Cody Crabtree, 26.
Arrested Jan. 25 by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, 33-year-old Oliver was booked into the Jefferson County Correctional Facility with a bond set at $1 million.
According to the Beaumont Police Department (BPD), renewed investigative efforts led to a Jan. 22 murder warrant for Oliver, who was 20 years old at the time of the homicide. According to BPD, April 11, 2013, at 3:40 p.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of Primrose in reference to a victim of a shooting. They found Crabtree in the parking lot of an apartment complex suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died the following day.
Oliver’s defense attorney argued that the defendant is a property owner and gainfully employed. According to Oliver, he’s been in criminal trouble before via a 2015 drug possession conviction, and as the driver of a “high-speed chase in 2013.”
“I ain’t been in no trouble since then,” Oliver said.
Beaumont Police Department Det. Jeff Busby, the lead investigator in the case, was called to testify for the hearing. According to Busby, the reason for the delayed prosecution is due to witness intimidation, real and/or perceived.
“A lot of them didn’t want to come forward because of the nature of the offense,” Busby said. “Most of the witnesses were scared, in fear, of coming forward against this man.”
DNA evidence returned a hit for another person involved, that person suspected of stealing the victim’s vehicle after the homicide.
“They committed this homicide, stole the vehicle, and dumped the vehicle within 24 hours,” Busby said. Much of roughly 60 pieces of evidence had not been extensively tested in 2013 and he is currently working to do so.
Prosecutor Ashley Molfino had no opinion of bond amount.
“I would defer to the discretion of the court,” she said, not specifically asking for any bond amount.
West said, based on information available, Oliver’s bond was reduced to $650,000.
The case remains under investigation and detectives encourage anyone with additional information to come forward by calling BPD at (409) 832-1234 or Southeast Texas Crime Stoppers at (409) 833-TIPS (8477).