Murder victim's mother fighting possible plea deal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The mother of a Louisville murder victim is outraged that one of the suspects in her son's death could get a plea deal. It's the latest twist in a 3-year-old murder case.

Kim Vanderhaar says this 4th of July was no holiday, thanks to a phone call she says she received the day before from the man prosecuting her son's accused killer.

"And I knew it wasn't going to be good," Vanderhaar said. "Anytime that phone number comes up, I know it's really not going to be good."

Kim Vanderhaar says she's had very few good days since April 3, 2009. That's when her son, Camden McCroskey, was killed in broad daylight during an apparent drug deal. Police subsequently arrested Jeffrey Moore and James Stover and charged them with McCroskey's murder.

"Marijuana does not justify James Stover killing him," Vanderhaar said.

In a plea deal, Moore was to testify against Stover when his trial began next week. But now that trial might not happen.

Vanderhaar says she got the phone call from prosecutor Frank Dahl on Tuesday that they may agree to a manslaughter plea for Stover.

"Which is totally different than what I have been told from day one," Vanderhaar said. "I'd been promised by them that we would not take a plea unless it was to murder."

Vanderhaar is adamant that she wants twelve jurors to decide Stover's fate, not the Commonwealth's Attorney.

"If it meant that he walked out of that courtroom a free man that day, I could live with that better than I can live with Dave Stengel making the decision that he's going to let him plead to manslaughter."

For more than three years, Vanderhaar has been fighting.

"While he talked to me for about 20 minutes, I was on my knees praying for God to see that I'm at the end of my rope," Vanderhaar said. "I don't know how much more I can handle."

But, she insists, for her family's sake, she will not give up now.

"I know I have to continue to fight for Camden's memory. He has a little girl that's now 5 that's growing up without her Daddy," Vanderhaar said.

What is not clear is exactly why prosecutors apparently are willing to accept a plea deal. We did reach the spokesman for from the Commonwealth's Attorney's office but, so far, there has been no comment.

** Update 9:00 AM 7/5/12: A spokesman for the Commonwealth's Attorney's office said no plea deal has been agreed to at this time. There will be no comment on a possible deal before it is accepted in open court.