Whitley County Grand Jury indicts pair involved in fatal crash

Robert Halcomb, The Times-Tribune, Corbin, Ky.
·2 min read

Mar. 19—WHITLEY COUNTY — The Whitley County Grand Jury has returned their indictments for the month of March.

Matthew Croley, 34, of Williamsburg, has been indicted on charges of Murder, first-degree Assault, three counts of first-degree Wanton Endangerment, and one count of Driving on a Suspended/Revoked License.

Additionally, Jayna Ann Vorwerk, 22, of Williamsburg, the co-defendant of Croley, has been indicted on Facilitation to Murder, Facilitation to 1st Degree Assault, and three counts of Facilitation of Wanton Endangerment.

These charges stem from a February crash on southbound I-75 which resulted in the death of a two-year-old and severe injuries to the mother, who was driving the vehicle that was struck.

There were also three other children in the car, but they were left relatively unscathed.

The 2017 White Ford Edge which Croley was driving belonged to Vorwerk, and both individuals registered above the legal limit when given a breathalyzer test by police.

Croley remains lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center in lieu of a $1 million bond, while Vorwerk was released on February 15 after posting $10,000, or ten percent, of her $100,000 bond.

Other Whitley County indictments involving violence or related offenses include:

—Timothy Crossley, 36, of London, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree Sexual Abuse and two counts of first-degree Wanton Endangerment for allegedly abusing two minors while he was over the age of 21.

—Elizabeth Petrey, 31, of Siler, has been indicted on one count of first-degree Criminal Abuse for allegedly subjecting a minor to cruel torture and/or cruel punishment.

—Kevin Barnett, 44, of Corbin, has been charged with first-degree Burglary, fourth-degree Assault, first-degree Wanton Endangerment, third-degree Terroristic Threatening, second-degree Criminal Mischief, and first-degree Persistent Felony Offender in relation to incident where Barnett allegedly broke into a home and assaulted a resident.

—James and Janistine Skaggs, 75 and 72 respectively, both of Corbin, have been indicted on two counts of first-degree Criminal Abuse in relation to an incident where police were called to investigate the home of the pair and discovered children living in poor conditions.

—Corey Bucar, 35, of Arlington Heights, Illinois, has been indicted on two counts of first-degree Sexual Abuse and one count of second-degree Indecent Exposure for allegedly exposing himself to a set of young twins and their mother.

—Johanna Gregory, 39, of Corbin, has been indicted on one count of second-degree Assault for allegedly striking a man with cinder blocks and causing him serious physical injury.

Any indictment is an accusation only. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.