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Murdered mother made 911 call day before gruesome discovery

Posted at 5:04 PM, Mar 14, 2014
and last updated 2014-03-15 16:32:49-04

The day before Crystal Ragin and three of her children were found stabbed to death in their Newport News apartment, she called police asking them to enforce a protective order against her husband John Ragin.

“I have an order of protection and it hasn’t been served, but the person that it’s supposed to be served to is at the gas station and I’m trying to leave the gas station,” said Crystal Ragin during the August 18, 2011 911 call. Prosecutors played the call as evidence during the first day of John Ragin’s capital murder trial.

“They were supposed to serve him with that order of protection today and they haven’t yet,” she said during the call.

The day of the 911 call, a judge issued an order of protection to keep John away from Crystal; however, when police could not locate the order to serve John at the gas station, they let him leave.

The next day, authorities found Crystal Ragin and three of her children dead. Authorities arrested John Ragin in South Carolina where he had taken the young son he and Crystal shared.

Ragin has maintained his innocence. Prosecutors told NewsChannel 3 they believe they have enough DNA and surveillance evidence to lead to a conviction.

Ragin’s trial resumes Monday morning in Newport News Circuit Court.

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