Kenneth Carl Crawford III, Pennsylvania inmate EN4939, born 1983, initial incarceration in 1999 at age 16, scheduled for parole consideration in 2052
Serving two life sentences for the murders of Diana Algar and Jose Molina at the Paradise Camp Resort in Hollenback Township, PA. He and his co-defendant David Lee Hanley killed the pair in an “execution style” after the couple picked Crawford and Hanley while hitchhiking.
Sentenced was reconsidered after ruling from the Supreme Court on life imprisonment for juvenile offenders. Crawford, originally of Oklahoma, was granted a re-sentencing.
At the re-sentencing, Crawford learned he will continue to serve what could amount to a life sentence. Â The Judge gave Crawford two sentences of 26 years to life in prison to be run consecutively, and he was also given credit for the nearly 18 years he has already spent in prison.
The ruling comes after a lengthy period of testimony, when, for three days, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued why Crawford should either stay in, or be given the opportunity to eventually be released from, prison.
The Assistant District Attorney reiterated the prosecution’s previous points before the Judge read the sentence, saying that Crawford needs to be held accountable for his crimes. Prosecutors were looking for between 35 years and life in prison for each homicide, to be run consecutively.
The Defense attorney asked for leniency, in spite of the loss of life. The defense was asking for a sentence of between 25 and 50 years in prison. “With better information, the sentence can be one that respects that loss and recognizes that things have evolved here,” she said.
Part of that evolution, she said, boils down to the rehabilitative efforts Crawford has made in prison, which made up much of the testimony found in the multi-day hearing.
Since his incarceration, Crawford has been a model inmate, as described by employees at SCI Greene where he has been housed.Â
He was also described as a “beautiful” person by members of the Berwick-area Sanford family. Cindy Sanford met Crawford through art he made while in prison, and, after slowly growing close with him, she and her husband Keith decided to adopt Crawford as their son.
Algar’s husband, Robert Algar Jr., seemed to bring both of these points together while addressing the court.
“I believe that Mr. Crawford has changed his ways; he’s trying to be a better person,” he said. “He must pay for what he did. If he proves to the court he has changed, he should be given the opportunity to move forward.”
In addition to the two sentences for the homicide, the Judge also sentenced Crawford to an aggregated sentence of between 606 and 1,012 months, or 50.5 and 101 years, in prison for counts of conspiracy to commit murder, robbery and theft.
While these sentences will run consecutive to each other, Crawford will serve them at the same time as the homicide sentences.
The Sanford family was in court while the Judge read Crawford’s new sentence. They visibly grew upset when it was revealed that Crawford would not be coming to his new home any time soon.
Members of the Sanford family declined to talk with reporters after the sentencing.
The defense attorney told reporters simply that the defense was disappointed with the Judge’s sentence, which was nearly double what they were hoping for.
in contrast, the state prosecutors said they were satisfied, but were hoping for more time.
Crawford said nothing on his way out of the courthouse, hanging his head as he walked out.
stormborns
gracieabrams
andulkaphoto
kianamaiart
blakekathryn
tangentwithtanner
