Sarah Crawford, a 30-year-old White/Caucasian female from Chicora, Pennsylvania, died on Sunday night, December 4, 2016, inside the home she shared with her husband in Donegal Township. Online obituary records identify her as Sarah F. Cromer Crawford and state that she was a Chicora resident who died that day; news reports described the death as a shooting inside the couple’s East Slippery Rock Road home.
The night began as a domestic argument between Sarah and her husband, Joshua Crawford, who was also 30. According to police accounts reported by local and national news outlets, Joshua later told investigators that the argument had grown heated and that he intended to leave the house. Instead, he retrieved a hunting rifle from the kitchen, loaded it, placed it under his chin, and pulled the trigger in an apparent suicide attempt, but the rifle did not fire. Reports say he then adjusted or reseated the magazine, chambered a round, and again placed the gun under his chin.
Police said Sarah was on a couch when the confrontation turned fatal. According to the criminal complaint as reported by news outlets, Joshua claimed Sarah continued yelling at him, called him names including “mama’s boy,” and told him to shoot himself. After the rifle failed to fire during his attempts to use it on himself, police said Joshua lowered the weapon, pointed it at Sarah, and fired. Investigators said the bullet struck Sarah in the chest, and state police found her dead from a single gunshot wound.
After the shooting, Joshua Crawford called 911 and told authorities he needed police at the house because of a fight with his wife; other reports said he told police he had just shot and killed her. Pennsylvania State Police responded shortly after 9 p.m. and quickly determined that Sarah was dead. Trooper Jim Long told reporters that Joshua was open with police about what had happened and had discussed both the shooting and the couple’s marriage.
Joshua Crawford was arrested early the next morning and jailed in Butler County. He was charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault. A judge later denied bond, and he remained in the Butler County Prison. At a preliminary hearing later in December 2016, a trooper testified about the argument, the rifle, Joshua’s reported suicide attempts, and the fatal shot. The case was held over for trial.
Sarah’s family publicly pushed for accountability after the hearing. Her grandmother, Lyn Mazinski, said the family wanted Joshua punished as severely as possible and questioned why he had not simply left the house during the argument. Reports from the hearing also noted that Joshua’s attorney described him as having suicidal thoughts and being in a mental health crisis, and said he had been placed on suicide watch at the Butler County Prison.
The online sources located identify Joshua Crawford as the suspect, report his arrest, and describe the charges and preliminary hearing, but they do not provide a confirmed conviction, plea, sentencing date, prison sentence, or final punishment. Publicly available news coverage found for this synopsis stops at the case being held for trial and Joshua remaining jailed without bond.
