Woman charged with murder in deadly accident
By: Kevin Jolly
Updated: September 6, 2007
It was early morning on August 4th when an automobile with four people inside was traveling south on West Lake Road in Geneseo careened off the road and slammed into a tree. Three people in the car were injured, but a passenger in the car, 50-year old Emily Minter died from her injuries two days later. Now another passenger in the car is charged with her murder. A grand jury has indicted 36-year old Monique Annie Stokes on second degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and driving under the influence. According to the evidence presented to the grand jury there was an argument right before the accident. Key evidence that led them handing up a murder indictment was a comment Stokes made before the fatal crash. There was a comment allegedly made in sum and substance that, "I'm gonna kill us all", grabbed the wheel forced the vehicle off the road across the ditch and into the tree," said Livingston County Prosecutor Thomas Moran.
Moran says Stokes initially lied about her role n the accident. Stokes and the driver of the car Lillian Torres denied being behind the wheel, blaming the accident on the car's owner Robert Green who was riding in the vehicle.
"A subsequent investigation revealed that the statements provided by Ms. Torres and Ms. Stokes may not have been true, in fact the grand jury found that they were false," said Moran.


