Crystal Crockett, a 21-year-old African American woman from Chicago, IL, was tragically shot and killed on June 15, 2021. Crystal, a young mother of newborn twins, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Elijah Clippard, in the Bronzeville neighborhood on Chicago's South Side. Crystal had recently given birth to twin girls, Iyla and Italy, who were still in the NICU at Rush University Medical Center at the time of her death.
She was a nursing student at Malcolm X College and was described by her family as a loving and dedicated mother who was excited about her new role as a parent.
On the morning of June 15, 2021, surveillance footage captured Elijah Clippard driving a vehicle with Crystal Crockett in the passenger seat. Clippard parked the car in an empty lot behind an apartment complex where he lived. He then exited the vehicle with a firearm and, appearing agitated, shot Crystal multiple times. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and found Crystal lying in an alley. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Clippard was later seen on CTA surveillance at a nearby train station shortly after the shooting.
Elijah Clippard, a 31-year-old man, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Crystal Crockett's death. He was apprehended at the Eden Green housing development on the Far South Side of Chicago. Clippard was held without bail and was scheduled to appear in court on July 14, 2021. According to prosecutors, Crystal had expressed fear of Clippard and had been advised by her family to leave him. The tragic incident has left Crystal's family and community in mourning, as they remember her as a bright and caring individual who was dedicated to her family and her future career in nursing.
