Porter County judge rejects plea in fatal domestic violence death case as 'too lenient'

Apr. 12—VALPARAISO — Just moments after Shanda Crowe's older sister told the court Friday that no one ever holds Matthew Urquidi responsible for his actions, a Porter County judge rejected a plea agreement that would have allowed Urquidi to escape any further jail time in a domestic abuse case involving Crowe's death.

Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer rejected the proposed plea agreement, saying, "It's too lenient," and, "It's not justice."

Clymer told attorneys in the case that he would need to see some time behind bars, as well as drug, alcohol and anger management treatment and probation in order to consider another plea agreement.

In the meantime, he scheduled an Aug. 19 trial for Urquidi, who faces charges of criminal confinement, domestic battery, several counts of operating while intoxicated and leaving the scene of a crash.

Urquidi had struck a deal with a special prosecutor from Lake County to plead guilty to the criminal confinement charge in return for prosecutors dismissing the remaining counts and an entire other criminal case from October when he was on probation charging him with unlawful possession of a syringe, drugs and paraphernalia.

Urquidi faced no more than four years under the rejected agreement to be served, not in jail, but as part of the alternative offered by the Porter County PACT Program, records show.

The felony confinement charge alone typically carries a potential sentence of one to six years behind bars.

Urquidi admitted during his plea hearing in February that on June 9, 2021, he was involved in a verbal argument near Porter Beach with Crowe, 29, of Portage, records show.

He admitted to grabbing Crowe and forcing her into her vehicle against her will, according to the proposed plea. Urquidi said he drove off at a high rate of speed, during which time Crowe jumped from the moving vehicle and died from the injuries she suffered.

Police at the time said Crowe was found unresponsive alongside Waverly Road, north of the South Shore Line tracks and U.S. 12. The coroner's office reported she died as a result of blunt force trauma to her head and neck.

Police said Urquidi had been involved in a hit-and-run property damage crash farther north on Waverly Road, where a portion of his front bumper was found after he struck an inanimate object.

Urquidi was found at the time to have a blood alcohol content of about 0.17%, or twice the legal limit for driving, police said.

Crowe's young daughter, who told the court Friday that Urquidi was regularly violent with her mother and drank alcohol often, shared the immense pain she now suffers.

"I didn't get to say goodbye to her," the 13-year-old girl said. "That hurts a lot."

"I want my mom to be here with me," she said. "It's his fault. He was drunk. He was supposed to protect her, but he killed her."

A special prosecutor was appointed in the case because Urquidi is a former client of Gary Germann, now the Porter County prosecuting attorney.

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