Years before his mother would be exonerated of killing him with a poisoned smoothie, a young man died slowly and painfully from an opioid overdose. She is now scheduled to stand trial for the murder of her younger daughter.
On May 11, Maree Mavis Crabtree, 59, was acquitted of killing her 26-year-old son Jonathan after his body was found in their Gold Coast home in 2017.
Before filing a $125,000 insurance claim from his superannuation death benefit policy, she was charged with producing a fruit smoothie tainted with the prescription medication oxycodone.
After being found not guilty of murder, attempted murder, and fraud, she left Brisbane’s Supreme Court.
But Crabtree has to go back to court to answer to a murder charge regarding the death of her youngest daughter, Erin, according to the Daily Mail earlier this week.
In September 2012, when her mother, brother, and sister were on a 12-day Pacific Islands vacation, Erin, then 18, was discovered unconscious inside the family home.
Lifestyle Solutions, a disability service, paid for Erin’s vacation, but a few weeks prior to departure, her mother informed the travel agency that her daughter was too afraid to go.
The court heard how Jonathan’s overdose on oxycodone caused him to pass away slowly and painfully.
Earlier this month, Maree Crabtree (pictured) was acquitted of the murder of her son Jonathan.
Before filing a $125,000 insurance claim, Maree (left) was charged with killing Jonathan (right) with a drug-spiked smoothie; however, the jury found her not guilty on all charges.
Erin, her 18-year-old daughter, whose body was discovered in 2012, is now charged with her murder.
Crabtree said she believed Jonathan was dead when she called emergency services the following morning after discovering him on his bed.
When the triple-O operator asked Crabtree to try CPR and “give him a chance,” she stated she couldn’t.
“I have a bad back, so I wouldn’t be able to.”She answered, “I can’t even stay in his room.” “I believe he’s dead.” I suppose he’s dead, therefore I can’t look at him.
The court heard that before paramedics discovered Jonathan, he had been dead for at least three hours.
The jury was shown a recording of the triple-O call, which was subsequently released to the public.
Testifying during the five-week trial, Kayla Robb told the Daily Mail that she had spoken to Jonathan just hours before he passed away and was heartbroken when Crabtree called the following morning to break the news.
Ms. Robb, who met Jonathan in 2011 and grew close to him, said she was taken aback when police began looking into his death.
As I stated in court, I was close to (Crabtree) and thought she was a terrific mother. In terms of Jonathan’s pals, I was essentially her favorite; she told me everything, according to Ms. Robb.
Tara, Crabtree’s surviving child, is shown arriving in the Supreme Court in Brisbane.
The prosecution claimed that Crabtree made the lethal smoothie with crushed oxycodones using a blender (seen in the drawer).
Kayla Robb, a friend of Jonathan’s (above), described him as the “best human being to be around.”
After it was revealed in court that Jonathan had sustained a severe brain injury in a 2015 vehicle accident, she called him a “gentle giant” with the “kindest heart.”
“He did turn into an a***hole after his car accident,” Ms. Robb remarked.
The impact of Erin’s passing on Jonathan was discussed in court, and the jury heard a recording of Crabtree telling the police how close the two were.
According to Crabtree, following Erin’s unexpected passing, Jonathan started abusing drugs and experienced depression and suicidal thoughts.
While the family was on the vacation, it is understood that Jonathan requested a family acquaintance to see how Erin was doing.
Her body was discovered beneath a doona three days into the holiday.The Crabtrees decided to end their cruise and head back home.
Police first declared her death to be a suicide after discovering a sketch in her notebook with the words “RIP Erin” on a gravestone. “When we [Jonathan’s friends] talk about it, we are all at the same [point] – like, where do we go from here.” We were all unable to say farewell.
After being engaged in a serious car accident in 2015, the court heard that his personality altered (Jonathon is shown in the hospital after the collision).
When Ms. Robb learned of Jonathan’s passing, she described it as “the day time stopped.”
A picture of Jonathan and his mother, Maree Crabtree, taken the day before he passed away at the age of 26
Ms. Robb asserts that following the accident, she was prohibited from seeing Jonathan in person.
Ms. Robb wrote him a letter after the trial to let him know how she was feeling (shown).
An more passage from Ms. Robb’s heartfelt letter is shown.
To give him “the send-off he truly deserves,” Ms. Robb has started a GoFundMe.
Mark, Jonathan’s father, will use some of the money to cover his travel and lodging expenses so he may attend the memorial.
Additionally, money will be given to the Helensvale Hornets rugby league team, where Jonathan’s ashes were dispersed. “That’s where he played, that’s where he loved going, that was his safe space,” Ms. Robb stated. “He was a giving person, even though he had nothing to give, he’d still give everything he could, so that’s what I’m doing.” Nine years later, I want everyone to know that he had a significant influence on a great number of people’s lives.
Crabtree is charged with murder as well as attempted fraud involving at least $100,000 in December 2018, at least $30,000 between October 2010 and June 2015, and another alleged offense in June 2015.
On May 22, Crabtree was additionally charged with Commonwealth fraud in Brisbane District Court. The accusations included three counts of general dishonesty and eight counts of getting a financial advantage by deception between 2009 and 2018.
Jodie Mair, Crabtree’s attorney, stated that until her client’s Supreme Court case was resolved, the Commonwealth charges could not move forward.
The home pitch of the Helensvale Hornets rugby league team, where Jonathan played, is where his father Mark (pictured) says he feels closest to his son.
“I can confirm that the first of those indictments has been resolved by way of a trial,” Ms. Mair stated, referring to Crabtree’s acquittal on May 11. Crabtree is also facing several fraud allegations that are scheduled for mention within the month.
“It’s the case where these (Commonwealth) matters reasonably can’t progress until finalization of the Supreme Court matters, and largely that may dictate how these matters proceed,” Ms. Mair stated. “As I’ve indicated the lines of communication are open between…defense and the prosecution in respect of the remaining Supreme Court indictment.” The outstanding murder and state fraud charges are scheduled for mention or review within the next month.
On July 16, the District Court is scheduled to hear the Commonwealth accusations.
Crabtree has consistently insisted about her innocence.
