In the early afternoon of a late March day, the life of 38-year-old Erick D. Crawford was brought to a sudden and violent end at the intersection of Liberty Street and Broadway in Kingston, New York. On March 21, 2021, at approximately 1:25 p.m., Crawford was shot twice. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries at HealthAlliance Hospital's Broadway Campus at 3:52 p.m. that same day.
This tragic event marked the first homicide in Kingston that year, shaking the community and prompting calls from city leaders for action against a recent wave of gun violence.
Erick D. Crawford, a male born on October 26, 1983, in Fort Ord, California, was remembered as a man with a warm spirit and a caring nature. He had been a talented football player and an honor roll student in high school. Known as a handy individual who could fix anything, his unexpected death left his family, including his children, in deep sorrow. His passing was a profound loss to those who knew and loved him.
The investigation into Crawford's shooting was swift. A multi-agency effort involving the City of Kingston Police Department, New York State Police, the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, and the Ulster County District Attorney's Office quickly zeroed in on a suspect. Two days after the fatal shooting, on March 23, 2021, authorities arrested Truvock Noble, a 45-year-old homeless man from the Kingston area. Noble was taken into custody in the town of Fishkill and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
During the ensuing trial, the prosecution built its case around surveillance footage that captured an encounter between Noble and Crawford just moments before the shooting. Although the murder weapon was never recovered and there was a lack of direct evidence, the video played a crucial role. Noble did not testify, but statements he made to the police, where he referred to Crawford as a 'missile' sent to harm him, were presented. In April 2022, after a trial and deliberation, a jury found Truvock Noble guilty on all charges, including second-degree murder. He was later sentenced for his role in the death of Erick D. Crawford.
