Virginia mother pushes to remove Fairfax prosecutor over repeat-offender who killed her daughter

On Feb. 23, Stephanie Minter, 41, was discovered with multiple stab wounds inside a bus-stop shelter in Hybla Valley, Fairfax County. Abdul Jalloh, a 32-year-old Sierra Leone national who entered the United States illegally in 2012, is charged with second-degree murder but has a record of over 30 prior arrests for crimes such as rape and assault. Cheryl Minter, Stephanie’s mother, filed a Change.org petition calling for the removal of Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, criticizing a 2020 plea-bargaining policy that weighed immigration consequences and allegedly let repeat offenders avoid harsher penalties.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Jalloh’s extensive arrest history, while the Justice Department announced a probe into possible preferential treatment of undocumented defendants by Descano’s office. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan has subpoenaed Descano, demanding compliance with the investigation. Descano defended his policies as lawful and reflective of community values, noting the office has already provided over 1,100 pages of documents and that Jalloh remains held without bond pending a trial scheduled for January 2027.