In the winter of 2018, the life of 35-year-old Chrystal Michelle Burrage, a female clerk for the city of Jackson, Mississippi, came to a tragic and abrupt end. On Wednesday, January 24th, law enforcement was called to the Crown Motel on Boling Street to conduct a welfare check. Concerns were raised when the occupants of one of the rooms failed to check out at the designated time and were unresponsive to the motel's management.
Upon their arrival, officers from the Jackson Police Department attempted to enter the room but found the door partially barricaded from the inside. After forcing their way in, they discovered a grim scene. Both Chrystal Burrage and a male companion, later identified as 41-year-old William Wade, Jr., were found lying motionless on the floor. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
The initial investigation at the scene pointed towards a murder-suicide. A firearm was recovered from inside the motel room, and the evidence suggested that Wade had shot and killed Burrage before turning the gun on himself. The precise motive for the tragic event and the nature of the relationship between Burrage and Wade were not immediately clear to investigators. Authorities continued to look into the circumstances that led to the two deaths, speaking with other guests at the motel in an effort to piece together the final hours of Chrystal Burrage and William Wade, Jr. No other suspects were sought in connection with the case, as all evidence indicated the incident was contained within the motel room.
