Joshua Danehower Murder Case - Fairfax DA Steve Descano Insanity Plea Deal (2026)
Joshua Danehower Murder Case - Fairfax DA Steve Descano Insanity Plea Deal (2026) — Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano offered an insanity plea deal to the man accused of murdering Gret Glyer while he slept, over the objections of the Glyer family.
Summary
Joshua Danehower, 33, of Arlington, Virginia, was arrested and indicted by a Fairfax County grand jury for the shooting death of Gret Glyer, a local CEO who was killed while asleep. Court documents revealed that Danehower had some prior relationship with Glyer's wife, Heather, before her marriage. The motive was not publicly established.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano's office, after a psychiatrist preliminarily evaluated Danehower and found him insane at the time of the murder, moved toward accepting a "not guilty by reason of insanity" plea deal. The Glyer family strongly opposed this arrangement, arguing it failed to provide justice and created serious risks: "Gret's killer could be released at any time if he is deemed no longer insane," the family stated, expressing concern that the annual psychiatric review process "will likely lead to Mr. Danehower serving very little time in confinement." The family asked the judge to reject the plea and allow a jury to decide the case.
The case generated significant controversy given DA Descano's history. Former Virginia AG Jason Miyares had previously compiled years of documented concerns about Descano "repeatedly committing Brady and discovery violations, disregarding victims' statutory and constitutional rights, entering into improper plea agreements, demonstrating raw prosecutorial incompetence, and enacting unlawful or unconstitutional policies that undermine public safety and the rule of law." Descano had been re-elected by Fairfax City voters despite a previous recall attempt by Virginia for Safe Communities. Writer Lyndsey Fifield, a friend of Heather Glyer, wrote movingly on January 23, 2026 about the anguish of explaining to Heather's friends why the DA was allowing the killer to potentially walk free.
Key Details
- Date: Murder date unspecified; Indictment and plea deal controversy January 2026
- Location: Fairfax County, Virginia
- Key People: Joshua Danehower (defendant, 33, Arlington VA); Gret Glyer (victim, CEO, killed while sleeping); Heather Glyer (victim's wife); DA Steve Descano (Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney); former AG Jason Miyares (documented Descano's misconduct)
- Outcome: DA Descano pursuing not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity plea; Glyer family opposes deal and seeks jury trial; case pending January 2026