The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Accused killer wants statement held from trial
Lawrence Crawley was charged with stabbing his girlfriend in Whitemarsh and then driving over her
NORRISTOWN >> A man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend and driving over her with his vehicle, crushing her to death in Whitemarsh, wants to prevent a jury from hearing an alleged incriminating statement he gave to detectives, claiming it was improperly obtained.
Lawrence Maurice Crawley, through his lawyer Carrie L. Allman, maintained at the time he was questioned by a detective in a Pittsburgh hospital on Aug. 12, 2018, he was heavily sedated and in pain after setting himself on fire and he could not have knowingly and voluntarily waived his constitutional rights.
“You have an individual who is substantially sedated. It’s important to consider a defendant’s physical and mental condition and whether it influences them,” Allman, the chief homicide lawyer in the county public defender’s office, argued during Crawley’s pretrial hearing on Friday. “His medical and mental state have to be considered.”
In court papers, Allman argued Crawley “was covered in bandages, he had severe burns,
was oozing bloody fluid, spoke softly and needed assistance using the bathroom.” Testimony revealed Crawley was burned on 27 percent of his body.
“The totality of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Crawley’s confession at (the hospital) demonstrate that his will was overborne and that he was not in a normal, aware or well-oriented state,” Allman wrote.
But Assistant District Attorney Allison Ruth argued Crawley, 34, voluntarily gave a statement to Detective William Mitchell Jr. and that it is admissible evidence for a jury.
“He in no way did not indicate he didn’t know what was going on. He was alert and awake. He knew exactly what was going on,” Ruth argued.
Judge Thomas C. Branca took the matter under advisement, indicating he will rule later on the admissibility of Crawley’s statement.
Crawley, of the 800 block of North 13th Street, faces a Jan. 13 jury trial on charges of first- and third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime and possession of a weapon in connection with the alleged 2:27 a.m. Aug. 3, 2018, attack of Angela Maya Stith outside Vector Security where she worked along the 5100 block of Campus Drive in Whitemarsh.
Authorities alleged Crawley fled the scene in a blue Chevrolet Avalanche SUV and was spotted several hours later by state police traveling on the westbound Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. As troopers approached the vehicle, Crawley set himself on fire inside the vehicle, according to court documents.
Crawley survived and was transported to a hospital in western Pennsylvania where he was listed in critical but stable condition and in a medically-induced coma for several days, according to officials.
Mitchell testified he traveled to the Pittsburgh-area hospital on Aug. 12 to speak to Crawley and have him arraigned when he learned Crawley had regained consciousness and could speak.
“He was awake. He understood where he was,” Mitchell testified, claiming he saw no signs that Crawley was drowsy from the fentanyl he had been administered for pain. “He was responding appropriately. He said he was willing to speak with us.”
Mitchell said he had to wear protective clothing when he entered Crawley’s room and said Crawley had bandages covering a large portion of his upper body.
At one point, Crawley allegedly asked, “Did Angela say I killed one of her coworkers?” to which Mitchell explained Stith was deceased.
Mitchell said he read Crawley his constitutional warnings at 5:25 p.m. and Crawley replied “Yes” when asked if he understood those rights. Mitchell testified Crawley couldn’t sign the waiver form, however, because his hands were bandaged.
When Mitchell asked Crawley if he remembered setting himself on fire Crawley allegedly stated “someone in his head named Demarcus” told him to do it, according to testimony.
Crawley allegedly admitted to being at Stith’s workplace on Aug. 3 but claimed he didn’t remember “stabbing her over and over” or “running her over and over,” Mitchell testified.
When Mitchell asked Crawley why he brought a knife with him to Stith’s workplace Crawley allegedly responded that he did not have “knives.”
“I asked about a knife and he said ‘knives.’ I found that intriguing because we found two knives at the scene,” Mitchell testified.
At 7:12 p.m., Crawley stated he wanted a lawyer present with him and at that point all questioning ceased, Mitchell testified.
During the pretrial hearing, Allman also sought to prevent prosecutors from introducing autopsy photos of Stith’s stab and crushing wounds to the jury, arguing they have “no value but to inflame the jury.” Ruth and District Attorney Kevin Steele argued the photos are relevant to show Crawley’s alleged “specific intent to kill.”
Branca also took the matter of the photos under advisement.
If he’s convicted of firstdegree murder, which is an intentional killing, Crawley faces a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. A conviction of third-degree murder, a killing committed with malice, carries a possible maximum sentence of 20-to-40-years in prison.
Authorities believe Stith, with whom Crawley previously had a relationship, was on a workplace break at the time Crawley showed up on a rear parking lot of the business and the attack was captured by video surveillance cameras.
An autopsy determined Stith, 33 and of Philadelphia, died from combined blunt and sharp force injuries.
An investigation began when Whitemarsh police responded to Vector Security for a reported stabbing and found Stith’s body in the rear parking lot of the business.
Video surveillance showed Stith exiting a rear door at Vector Security about 2:13 a.m. and walking to her Toyota sedan.
“The victim is then observed running from her vehicle while being chased by a male suspect,” Mitchell and Whitemarsh Detective Stephen Kerns alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding Crawley is observed attacking the woman with a stabbing motion.
The video surveillance showed that several of Stith’s coworkers appeared on the parking lot and attempted to render aid to her as she lay injured on the ground, a knife protruding from her back, court papers indicate.
“A Chevrolet Avalanche SUV is then observed driving over the area of the victim on three occasions while the vehicle circled the parking lot,” detectives alleged, adding coworkers witnessed the horrific attack.
“You have an individual who is substantially sedated.”
- Defense lawyer Carrie L. Allman
“He was alert and awake. He knew exactly what was going on.”
- Montgomery County Prosecutor Allison Ruth