In the quiet of a San Antonio home on the East Side, a family's life was irrevocably shattered on or around May 9, 2026. Derrick Cornell Crawford, a 52-year-old man, was shot and killed, not by a stranger, but allegedly by his own nephew, 26-year-old Aquiminee La Roy Crawford. The tragic event unfolded within the walls of the residence they shared in the 100 block of Sterling Street, a place that should have been a sanctuary.
The reason for this violent outburst, as confessed by the suspect, was anger over a derogatory comment made by his uncle. This verbal slight reportedly caused the younger Crawford to "black out," leading him to retrieve a handgun and shoot his uncle five times in the living room.
For more than a week, Derrick Crawford’s family searched for him, unaware of the grim secret hidden in the backyard of his own home. According to police reports, after the shooting, Aquiminee Crawford wrapped his uncle's body in black trash bags and placed it in a recycling bin. The gun allegedly used in the crime, along with spent shell casings and the victim's cellphone, were hidden in the nephew's bedroom. The dark truth remained concealed until Aquiminee himself made a startling 911 call on the evening of May 17, 2026. He confessed to dispatchers that he had killed his uncle and that the body was in the backyard. When officers arrived, they were met with a foul odor emanating from the recycling bin, where they made the gruesome discovery of Derrick Crawford's remains.
Upon his confession and the discovery of the body, Aquiminee La Roy Crawford was taken into custody and charged with murder. His bond was set at $250,000. Investigators processing the scene found significant evidence corroborating the nephew's account, including blood spatter on the walls and ceiling of the living room and a sofa cushion drenched in blood. The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office later confirmed that Derrick Crawford's death was a homicide caused by multiple gunshot wounds. The case against Aquiminee Crawford is now moving through the legal system, leaving a family to grapple with a profound loss and the shocking reality of violence from within their own kin. As of the initial reports, the legal proceedings were just beginning, with a long road ahead to any potential trial, conviction, and sentencing.
