Danford Grant's wife reassigned after KIRO 7 investigation into 'missing' car

SEATTLE — Why did the wife of suspected serial rapist Danford Grant move his car from near the Greenwood massage clinic, where he was arrested, to a busy corner in Wedgwood, more than a mile from the family's home?  And why did that car sit there for nearly a month while police were hoping to search it for evidence?

Those are the questions KIRO 7 was first to raise when details of the investigation's search warrant were first made public Tuesday.

Now we're digging deeper and can shed some light on Jennifer Grant, the wife of the rape suspect.

She's also a lawyer, but not just any lawyer.  Jennifer Grant is the Supervising Assistant City Prosecutor in the Seattle City Attorney's Office. She is the 2011-2012 President of the Washington Women Lawyers Foundation. And Jennifer Grant has been in court to support her husband Danford Grant, as he faces serious felony charges.

KIRO 7 was the first to reveal that, while police were gathering evidence in the case, Danford Grant's Honda Pilot was parked for nearly a month on a busy retail corner in Wedgwood.  We also revealed that Jennifer Grant was the one who moved it there three days after her husband's arrest.  She didn't want it at the house, attorney Richard Hansen claims, because she was being "hounded by the media."

Hansen, and Drue Kirby-Coats, the criminal defense attorney representing Jennifer Grant, both say Grant family attorneys offered to tell prosecutors where the car was located early in the investigation.  But KIRO 7 has confirmed that prosecutor Valiant Richey turned them down because the car was "offered with conditions that were unacceptable,” according to spokesman Dan Donohoe with the King County Prosecutor’s Office.

Jennifer Grant's attorney claims she took nothing from the car but a garage key card.

According to the search warrant, police believe evidence of the crimes -- possibly a knife, condom wrappers, phony police ID, DNA -- could have been in the vehicle.

Meanwhile, posters on kirotv.com are calling the new development "tampering with evidence" and "obstruction," and they are wondering why Jennifer Grant "still has her job" as a criminal prosecutor for the city of Seattle.

As a result of the investigation, Kimberly Mills in the City Attorney's Office released a statement late Wednesday, announcing Jennifer Grant has been reassigned:

"As a result of the information that recently came to light, Supervising Assistant City Prosecutor Jennifer Grant has been reassigned to responsibilities that do not entail courtroom prosecutorial work.  Although there has been absolutely no indication of an active criminal investigation, we felt it prudent to temporarily reassign her duties.  It is extremely important that we continue to maintain the appearance of integrity here at the Seattle City Attorney’s Office."

KIRO