Chicora Man Accused Of Killing Wife Held Over For Trial
CHICORA (KDKA) – A man who shot and killed his wife after an argument faced a judge Tuesday, and her family had a lot to say after the hearing.
Sarah Crawford's family said she was happy even though there were some concerns about her husband's mental state. Now, the family is asking for justice, saying there's no reason why she had to die.
Joshua Crawford, 30, refused to comment after he was held over for trial for the shooting death of his wife of 3 months. Sarah's family had a lot to say.
"He took pieces of our heart when he killed her, and we just hope that he gets punished as severely as possible," Sarah's grandmother, Lyn Mazinski, said.
A trooper testified that Crawford got into an argument with his wife on Dec. 4. The argument continued until Crawford decided he was leaving to go see his son.
Instead of leaving, Crawford grabbed his hunting rifle, put a loaded magazine in the gun, put the rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire. Police say Crawford pulled the magazine out, put it back in the gun, made sure a round was in the chamber, and put it back under his chin.
According to the police report, Sarah Crawford kept yelling at her husband, telling him to shoot himself. Crawford said he wanted to shoot himself because his wife kept calling him names, like "mama's boy."
When the gun didn't fire a second time, Crawford pointed the rifle at his wife and shot her.
"There is no reason. Why didn't he walk out of the house if they were arguing? You know? He said he wanted to shoot himself. Well, why didn't he, after he killed her?" Mazinski said.
Police say Crawford called 911, explaining that he had just shot and killed his wife.
During the hearing, Crawford's attorney said his client was having suicidal thoughts and was in a mental health crisis. He said Crawford was put on suicide watch at the Butler County Prison.
Joshua Crawford remains locked up at the Butler County Prison after bond was denied.
Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter
