Judge Ups Bond for Murder Defendent to One Million Dollars

One week after being charged with second degree murder in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, 42 year old Anthony (Tony) Tyrone Crews made his first court appearance this morning (Thursday) under tight security at the DeKalb County Courthouse.
Crews stands accused of killing 28 year old Ashley Bain, whose body was found lying on the floor of a bedroom at the home she and Crews shared at 3870 Cookeville Highway, Smithville last Thursday afternoon, February 5.
During the brief hearing in General Sessions Court today, Judge Bratten Cook, II increased Crews’ bond from $250,000 to one million dollars and set his next court date for March 5th. Judge Cook also appointed the District Public Defender’s Office to represent Crews. WJLE was the only media in the courtroom covering the hearing.
Before increasing the bond amount, Judge Cook questioned Crews about his background. Crews said he was from New York and had relocated to McMinnville three years ago. He is married and had once served in the military. At the time of his arrest last Thursday, Crews was enrolled as a student at MTSU and had worked at Shiroki in Smithville. He admitted to having a misdemeanor criminal past for simple assault in New York but claimed the charges against him there were dismissed. Crews said he is not currently on parole or probation for any other offense.
After being appointed to represent Crews, Assistant District Public Defender Allison Rasbury West asked that his bond be kept at $250,000 saying that amount was sufficient. However Judge Cook raised it to one million dollars. Upon hearing the judge’s decision, Bain’s father, who was in the courtroom along with other family members, called out “Thank you Judge”.
Crews was then escorted out of the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies and transported back to a facility in another county.
Members of the family and all others in the courtroom were asked to remain seated until Crews had departed the building.
Sheriff Patrick Ray told WJLE last Thursday that Bain had been stabbed numerous times about the upper body. It’s not known exactly how long Bain had been dead by the time authorities were notified but Sheriff Ray said she had been seen alive earlier in the day on Thursday. A knife, believed to have been the murder weapon, was found in the home.
According to Sheriff Ray, Crews called 911 at 2:33 p.m. to report that he had discovered Bain’s body when he entered the residence. Sheriff Ray and members of the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department were alerted and quickly arrived on the scene. The TBI and District Attorney General’s Office also joined the investigation. Sheriff Ray said authorities determined that Crews had committed the crime and made up the story about finding the body. Although officials believe they know the motive for the stabbing, Sheriff Ray said they are not releasing it at this time.
The warrant against Crews alleges that “on February 5th, 2015, at 3870 Cookeville Highway, Anthony Tyrone Crews did intentionally and knowingly kill Ashley Bain by stabbing her numerous times about the upper body”.