The killer of a married charity CEO has stunningly avoided jail time after a judge accepted his insanity plea despite claims he 'meticulously planned' the murder of his ex's husband.
Joshua Daniel Danehower, 37, admitted to fatally shooting DonorSee founder Gret Glyer, 32, dead in his Fairfax, Virginia home in June 2022, but pleaded not guilty to murder charges by reason of insanity.
Danehower created a chillingly detailed plan to pull off the killing, including noting to himself that he would need a mask and ski goggles, that he would shoot Glyer with 'quick fire' and a 'finishing shot', and that he would then need to put his clothes in a trash bag and get on a highway 'as soon as possible.'
But ahead of his scheduled murder trial, Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Stephen Shannon went against Glyer's family's wishes and accepted Danehower's insanity plea.
Plea Allows Him to Avoid Jail Time
The plea will allow him to avoid jail time and be housed in a mental health facility, with a chance at release at a yearly review - a possibility that Glyer's family said would leave them fearing for their lives.
Danehower killed Glyer by shooting him 10 times next to his wife while their two young children slept next door, and prosecutors said he had planned the horror for some time after becoming 'obsessed' with Glyer's wife Heather.
Glyer's family said the two had briefly dated a decade prior, and Danehower, who at the time was a FedEx worker, then saw her again at a church function and hatched his plot.
Prosecutors said Danehower meticulously plotted the murder of Glyer in a document he titled 'The Plan'.
The document included phases for how to get away with the murder, including clearing his phone and computer beforehand, loading his firearm in his car, unloading with a 'finishing shot' before hopping a back fence and changing clothes.
Family Slams Judge, Cites Premeditation
Psychiatrists said in a report to the court that Danehower was severely mentally ill, and after becoming 'obsessed' with Glyer's wife he spiralled into hallucinations - including believing Glyer was part of the 'illuminati'.
Glyer's family slammed the judge for accepting the insanity plea, as they pointed to clear premeditation in the murder.
'There was a premeditated nature to his crime. The killer planned the attack with a step-by-step procedure of how he was going to both kill my brother and get away with it,' his sister Gizan Glyer said.
'He admits to this and yet he's using his mental health problems as an excuse to avoid any punitive punishment for his crimes, and that is not right,' she said.
'When there is no punishment for a premeditated murder, there's no hope in the criminal justice system.'
Annual Reviews Could Open Door to Future Release
Under Virginia law, Danehower will be committed to a psychiatric hospital, and his status will be evaluated annually for the next five years, and every two years thereafter - with each evaluation presenting a legal opportunity for his release if he is deemed no longer a threat to himself or others, per WUSA9.
The possibility of Danehower's release led Glyer's family to say they not only fear for their own lives and that of his two children, but for the entire community.
'If you encounter Danehower on the streets, believe me, you are not safe,' Glyer's mother Silvia said.
'Just like on June 24, 2022,' his sister Gizan Glyer added after the plea was accepted. 'Evil has won today.'
Commonwealth of Virginia Issues Statement
In a statement following the plea, the Commonwealth of Virginia said: 'The Glyer family's hurt and disappointment is completely valid and more than understandable.'
'Our clinical expert had previously found the defendant to be legally insane at the time of the offense, which now makes two independent experts who have reached that conclusion; these findings mean the Commonwealth would be unable to meet our burden of proof at a trial.'
'Individuals who are found to be legally insane are remanded indefinitely to a Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services facility.'