Alexandria, left, and Anastasia Duval. (Facebook)
Alexandria Duval, also known as Alison Dadow, pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder in the death of her identical twin, Anastasia Duval, also known as Ann Dadow. The sisters, 37, were seen fighting in a car before the vehicle plunged 200 feet onto lava rocks in Maui, Hawaii on May 29 of 2016. Anastasia was pronounced dead at the scene and Alexandria was flown to a hospital in critical condition.
Prosecutors said Alexandria intentionally caused the death of her sister, reported the AP.
On June 9, Heavy confirmed with Maui Police Department that the murder charge had been dropped against Alexandria Duval. She was also being held on a disorderly conduct charge, but was released on bail. The judge in the case said there was not enough evidence at the time to warrant a murder charge, according to police.
However, Alexandria was arrested again on November 11 and charges were re-filed after a grand jury indicted her on a second-degree murder charge in the death of her twin sister.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Alexandria Drove Off a Cliff After the Two Were Seen Fighting
The scene of the crash. (Youtube)
A witness told police the driver, Alexandria, appeared to be in a rage before their vehicle plunged 200 feet off a sea cliff on Maui’s famous Hana Highway. Witnesses, including Boy Scouts and their chaperones, saw the twins arguing, and Anastasia pulling Alexandria’s hair. “You could tell that she was very violently swearing at somebody else in the car. She was mad and when she took off, it was in a rage. So she floored it and was in a rage as she sped past us,” Boy Scouts chaperone Lawrence Lau told hawaiinewsnow.com. The vehicle was then seen accelerating before taking a sharp turn over the cliff.
Anastasia was pronounced dead at the scene, while Alexandria was flown via helicopter to a hospital in critical condition.
2. Prosecutors Said the Death Was Intentional, Though Alexandria was Found Not-Guilty
Prosecutors said the death of Anastasia was caused intentionally, and Alexandria was charged with second-degree murder, according to the Chicago Tribune. The vehicle’s air-bag module showed that Alexandria didn’t attempt braking before accelerating off of the cliff, stated probable cause documents filed in court.
“This case involves a devastating, heart-shattering tragedy for Alison (Alexandria) and her family. Her sister is dead as a result of the events surrounding this charge,” said Alexandria’s defense attorney, Todd Eddins.
On February 1, 2018 the woman was found not-guilty of killing her twin.
3. They Both Had Prior Run-Ins With the Law
The Duval twins. (Facebook)
Khon2.com reported the sisters were arrested on December 24 for disorderly conduct. They posted bail but did not show up for their court hearing and a bench warrant was issued for their arrest.
According to gossipextra.com, the two have been arrested at least five times for alcohol-related incidents.
4. They Owned Yoga Studios Together
(Facebook)
The twins, born in Utica, N.Y., are infamously known for owning yoga studios together. According to gossipextra.com, they were once well-respected and held studios in West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, starting in 2008. However, when they up and left the state without notice in 2014, numerous employees were left unpaid and hundreds of clients were left with memberships that couldn’t be refunded.
In a Facebook conversation with reporter Leslie Streeter from the Palm Beach Post, Leslie Dumas Michael stated the following:
(Facebook/Leslie Streeter)
The duo then moved to Utah and opened another studio, which also closed due to legal and financial problems, staradvertiser.com reported. Both sisters filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in 2014, citing several thousand dollars in debt.
They left Utah for Hawaii in December 2015. The twins then changed their names, and are identified as Alexandria and Anastasia Duval on their Hawaii driver’s licenses.
5. Alexandria Attempted to Flee the State After Being Released From the Hospital
Alexandria Duval was arrested June 3 after police found out she was trying to flee the state. Maui Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Emlyn Higa stated:
We had information after she was discharged from the hospital she attempted to fly out of the jurisdiction Wednesday night. All we know is she was trying to leave the state. We were afraid she would try to leave the country as well. The fear we have is that she could easily go to a country where we don’t have an extradition treaty. She has already changed her identity once, so she could change her identity again and we wouldn’t be able to locate her.