The Mysterious Death of Tiffiney Crawford | Full Episode | Forensic Files

foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] what happened tonight we were arguing and the last thing I remember I was
going in the house and I heard a shot a scream and then another shot give me some drama shoes
stay clear of patience the realization started hitting me that she shot herself analyzing heart
rhythm we'll stay back here what they're going to do is try to determine if they can
get a pulse okay breathing of circulation hi Chief uh it looks like suicide to me
thank you did anything about your relationship with Tiffany lead you to believe that
she was suicidal not at the time looking back just seeing how depressed she actually was and reading some of her
journal makes me think she was hiding a lot of stuff [Music] it was one of my very best friends
she was a big Spirit she had big plans she wanted to see the world this was a school photo
she was my firstborn my only daughter she was very involved with her children she used to dance and sing with them all
the time her goal was to bring people together that was was he started mothers helping
mothers mhm is a community for all moms of all walks of life it doesn't matter your background we want to be there to
love and support you do you believe she would take her own life I just talked to her
I do not believe that he had shot herself twice with her non-dominant hand we were fairly certain
that there's no way were you certain Jason did it I couldn't see her who else did it just
no way physically possible could it happen the way that he said it happened to believe that she did it to herself
you have to believe she used her non-dominant hand very impulsive and then shot herself twice yes
most suicides don't involve Two Shots yes most not all we don't believe Jason is guilty of this
at all they did not see blood or anything on him they found nothing that would indicate he had fired on firearm
recently I think she gave up I think she just fell apart and decided to end it did you
kill your wife no there wasn't anything that had ever happened through the years
for me to say oh he might be guilty I never ever thought that he was guilty I don't have a pulse
she's right here she's she's gone thank you foreign [Music] foreign [Music] it was just after 11 pm on May 2nd 2017
when then 37 year old Jason Crawford called 9-1-1 from right outside his home in Coleman Alabama that is about 50
miles north of Birmingham first you breathing I don't know yeah I'm trying to pick the lifter up so
I can see Jason remembers that night it was taken vividly felt like it was taking longer and longer for anybody to
get there and eventually I saw some headlights body camera footage shows what Coleman
County sheriff's deputies found when they first got to the scene EMS away okay Jason's wife 32 year old Tiffany
Crawford was slumped over in the driver's seat of her own van there was a pink revolver in her left
hand which Jason says she kept in the driver's side door of her vehicle for protection
when one of the sheriff's deputies tried to check Tiffany for a pulse the gun fell out of her hand
what happened tonight we were arguing I gave her her stuff so she can go I didn't let her in the house and the
last thing I remember she said she loved me and I was going in the house and I heard a shot
scream and then another shot Tiffany had been shot twice in the head paramedics tried to revive her
analyzing heart rhythm and I was thinking well then maybe there's a chance she's still alive
but it was too late and they come over and told me that she was dead it just made me feel sick at my stomach
to at least one of the deputies on the scene that night it appeared pretty clear that this was a suicide there's
nothing here so far that says anything to me other than suicide and it wasn't long before deputies
realized who Jason Crawford was the son of Rhonda Crawford who works as an office manager at the Sheriff's Office
yeah you know it's Rhonda's daughter-in-law Coleman County Sheriff Matt Gentry soon got word the chief
Deputy called me and said hey it appears that Rhonda's daughter-in-law had shot herself I said I'll go out
there and check on them by the time the sheriff got there Rhonda Crawford was already on scene
it was Rhonda Jason's mother who called Tiffany's mom Cheryl McGuckin to tell her what happened
I felt like I was kind of Frozen in time in that moment and I said is Jason there
can I talk to him and he was already speaking with the police is that her gun that she kept
with her yes and so um I got off the phone and I tried to figure out how what what my next step was
Cheryl's thoughts soon turned to Tiffany and Jason's children they shared a five-year-old son and a
four-year-old daughter Tiffany was also stepmom to Jason's then 14 year old son Logan
all the kids were inside the house that night the two youngest were asleep for Cheryl
life really hasn't been the same since then what are the things that you miss about
her you know the things I miss about her is her spontaneity Tiffany was an individual that had a
huge heart and she just wanted to engulf everyone around her and help them find joy that is why
Cheryl says Tiffany devoted much of her spare time to a support group that she had started on Facebook called mothers
helping mothers we're there to laugh with each other to love each other and to just Build You Up in everyday
motherhood she saw a vision that there were other mothers that needed somebody to talk to and that
group took off like a wildfire and spread all over the country Tiffany and Jason had been married a
little more than six years when she died what did you think of Tiffany when you first met her I thought she was striking
and beautiful she was outgoing a lot of things I wasn't you know so it was more of like I guess Opposites Attract kind
of thing when they started dating Jason had been divorced for several years his first
wife he says had cheated on him Tiffany was in a relationship at the time married in fact
it wasn't exactly a fairy tale beginning from the outside looking in but Jason says for the two of them yeah it was it
was it was like fireworks from in the beginning Tiffany eventually got divorced and that
is when she and Jason married and started their family just what led up to her death on that
night in May 2017. she don't would be up to the investigators to find out Sheriff Gentry remembers a conversation
he had on the scene with the coroner he says it appears to be a suicide he said the only weird thing is there's two
shots what do you recall about what you thought in that moment well that's weird
it's strange now has that happened before yes but it's not normal one of the shots was to her left jaw area the
other was to her left temple I said because of his mother's connection to our office for transparency there has to
be an autopsy done Sheriff Gentry says his investigators went on to process the scene that night
we investigate every suicide like a homicide so the man was searched evidence that was needed to be was
seized but the next morning Sheriff Gentry decided to turn the case over to the Alabama State Bureau of
Investigation I could have told our guys to work it but because of the potential
for conflict I want full transparency Joe Parrish is the state agent who got the case what's the first thing you do I
went to the district attorney's office and asked him about the van Parish wanted to get his hands on that van in
which Tiffany was shot so he got a search warrant for it but there was just one problem
you see the van had been released to the Crawford Family and by the time Parrish got to it less
than 24 hours after Tiffany died it had already been cleaned by Jason's family members
the Sheriff's Office had given them the go-ahead I didn't want the kids to see anything I was worried about them when
they woke up in the morning what did you make of that that the van had been cleaned it was odd that they
would clean it up that quick after something like that but Sheriff Gentry defends his decision
to release the van there was nothing of evidentiary value to the van they processed it took pictures they did
everything they normally would do on a crime scene that night right but if you're treating
it like a homicide I'm not turning the van over to the family sure so so an honor I mean I completely
understand so it was treated we worked it like a homicide but it was treated like a suicide
every bit of evidence that was needed was taken but as it turns out that van would be significant
and so would what Jason and Tiffany were arguing about right before she died yeah I I could tell something was going
on because she was getting more distant Jason Crawford says that in the months leading up to his wife Tiffany's death
he noticed a change in her she had been drinking a lot too two or three bottles A Week sometimes so
you had a feeling something was up yes and he says his suspicions were confirmed the night Tiffany died
when just hours before she got home Jason found messages on their computer suggesting that she was having an affair
so I started calling her I'm just trying to see if she would tell me anything and
she's like I don't know what you're talking about denying it and I was like okay well I think you need home
Tiffany's mom Cheryl says she knew about the affair she called to let me know she was on her
way home and that um Jason and her were going to have to have a discussion about their problems did
she sound worried she did not sound worried she sounded kind of hyper and it you know
anxious I just said well I love you be careful Tiffany's friend Lindsay Luke says she
also knew about the affair Lindsay says Tiffany told her she was making plans to
leave Jason and that she got a job at a local grocery store to save up money for
a new life on her own she knew what she needed to leave him and how she was so close
it was Tiffany afraid that Jason was going to find out about the affair yes and she didn't want him to because she
didn't want to hurt him but that night when he did find out Jason says he was hurt and angry
this was the second time a wife had cheated on him when Tiffany got home he says that's when he confronted her and
refused to let her go inside I kept telling her she's not staying the night so she asked me why can't I stay I
was like you've destroyed the sanctity of our marriage you were really angry uh yeah I was
angry but I was controlled anger Jason claims they argued for more than an hour and when he remained insistent that
Tiffany was not going inside he says she asked him to go and get her work clothes
I went in and grabbed some clothes and threw them to her and then I told her I'm done talking
so I went in the house and since I went in the house I heard shot her scream and
then another shot and then you did what went right back outside and what position was the door in the
car door the car door it was pulled to or closed Jason says that's when he called 9-1-1
but in that call and the police body camera footage from that night Jason never mentioned an affair last
thing I remember she said she loved me lead investigator Joe Parrish says authorities didn't learn
about the affair until the next day also when Parish listened back to that 9-1-1 call
there was more that caught his ear it was very cold it didn't sound like somebody that was worried about his wife
and there was one question that the 911 dispatcher kept asking Jason that he wouldn't answer she saw her in my head
who shot your wife he was avoiding the question I would like to play the 9-1-1 call for you okay
uh I'm worth a shot you seem cool as a cucumber oh well I think that's just the way my tone
of voice is [Music] happening she asked you who she been shot by and you didn't respond yeah
why not yeah I just felt like if I said it into existence it would be true South America
this lady gave you an opportunity to say yes yeah and you didn't respond oh how many more times I can tell you I
just froze in thought do you understand how somebody listens to that and says yeah because he did it
yeah I can understand that and that's exactly what Joe Parrish thought a week after Tiffany died and with her
autopsy results still pending Parish decided to bring Jason in for questioning the state Bureau of Investigation during
that interview Jason spoke in detail about discovering the affair and the argument that he had with Tiffany
ruin our home he's like you should no longer part of this and he also answered a question that Parish believed was key
when she left her rocking her she's right-handed yeah Tiffany was right-handed but the gun had
been found in her left hand how often in your experience do suicides happen where the individual uses their
non-dominant hand I've never seen it personally and it's not like I know she's like so
predominantly right-handed that she couldn't use her left hand but why would Tiffany we want to be there to love and
support you a woman who devoted so much time to helping others suddenly kill herself
there was nothing suicidal about her even Jason finds it hard to explain had she ever spoke about wanting to kill
herself not that I no not to me after Parish interviewed Jason he was free to go
but about a week later he was brought back in for questioning This Time by Parrish's colleague and I'm gonna advise
you of your constitutional rights Jason agreed to take a polygraph investigators told him he failed
your reactions were off the chat okay you're saying that there's no way that you shot your wife correct it wasn't
long before things turned contentious I don't want to hear that that I didn't shoot my wife because I know I can't
even get up and leave the rest right you listen to me huh walk out there you know
what that interview also ended with no arrests because of a backlog it would take nearly a year to get the missing
piece of the puzzle those autopsy results you see the manner of death was ruled a homicide and that
is when the decision was made to present the case to a grand jury I have no doubt my mind is guilty at all
Jeff Roberts was the Coleman County assisted District Attorney at the time I think the forensics tipped the case
but would a grand jury indict Jason even Tiffany's mother had her doubts even though I didn't want to believe it
was a suicide naturally I wouldn't want to believe my son-in-law killed her either
what do you make of Jason's 9-1-1 call chat now with the 48 Hours team on Facebook and Twitter
it's a sad situation whether on one side you believe somebody committed suicide or somebody committed murder neither one
of those scenarios work in my mind in the year following her daughter Tiffany's death
Cheryl McGuckin says she had a hard time believing that her daughter could have killed herself
but she also couldn't imagine that her son-in-law Jason would have pulled the trigger did you ever call the
investigators and say I want to know every bit of details you have I want to know all the details no why not I
suppose I didn't want to um let that cloud my time with my grandkids and my relationship
with Jason and his family my family and friends we never questioned that I wouldn't
kill my wife Jason did have a lot of support but not from the investigators or then
Coleman County assistant district attorney Jeff Roberts and his Legal Assistant Deborah ball she was too out
there to help other people she's not going to kill herself there's no way that that's what happened
once Roberts had received word that the medical examiner had ruled Tiffany's death a homicide
he decided along with lead investigator Joe Parrish to seek an indictment against Jason I couldn't see her who
else did it he's the only one out of motive to do it for one thing a green jury came back
with an indictment for murder for Jason Crawford Jason called me and told me it was very shocking
and very confusing on May 21st 2018 just over a year after Tiffany died Jason surrendered walked in
I told him he was under arrest he didn't seem to be worried he didn't seem to be worried no
Jason wasn't in custody for very long but in fact he was released on bond and Robert Tuten and Nicholas Heatherly
became his defense attorneys we don't believe Jason is guilty of this at all there's no evidence they did not see
blood or anything on him they found nothing that would indicate he had fired a firearm recently but the night of the
shooting Jason was never tested for gunshot residue and his house was never searched for bloody clothing
still tootin and Heatherly say they believe Jason who says he was inside the house when the gunshots rang out his
oldest son heard his father come back in the house right before the first gunshot
and about that polygraph test that Jason was said to have failed did you shoot Tiffany Crawford police investigators
use those as an investigative tool if they think somebody is guilty they tell them that they have failed the polygraph
and insists they tell what really happened they gave you a lie detector test and you failed it
yeah they can make those read how they want to Jason's defense team also downplayed
that 9-1-1 call the one in which investigator Parish noticed Jason sounded calm well why even
evasive if someone's never been in a high pressure situation like that where they've just been shocked by what
they're seeing they probably would not understand how that affects somebody it just felt like I was outside my body
not knowing what's going on but the prosecution was confident that Jason was guilty
Dr Valerie green was confident too she is the medical examiner who conducted Tiffany's autopsy you remember
saying to yourself I got a feeling there's more to this story oh yes definitely I think the thing that made
me think that there could be something else going on with this case is that gunshot wound on the left side of Miss
Crawford's head Dr Green says that based on the absence of gunpowder particles and abrasion
around the wound to Tiffany's left temple she concluded that the shot had to have been fired from at least 10
inches away that's indicating that you know she's holding her arm outward Beyond 10 inches
and trying to shoot herself not saying that it's impossible but it's not likely it is especially
unlikely says Dr Green because Jason reported that he found Tiffany in the driver's seat of her own van where's the
gun Sir with the gun in her left hand it's right here in her hand and the car door closed that was concerning to me
because I mean for you to be able to hold up a gun and shoot yourself in the head it would
be difficult to do and then such a small space that's not all says Dr Green neither of Tiffany's injuries were
contact wounds she didn't have a contact wound here and she didn't have a contact
wound here correct most suicides involve the barrel or the tip of the gun being placed on the skin yeah and you said
most not all but there was something else Dr Green noticed specifically about that van I
remember looking at pictures of the driver's side door and I didn't see any blood on that door
I didn't see any blood on the glass or the window I didn't see anything even low
on the door that makes me think that the door was not closed and I think that that door is open
because he was standing there despite the autopsy report and the fact that a grand jury had indicted Jason
Tiffany's mom continued to support him I never changed how I felt towards Jason I mean what purpose would that serve
you know he's also somebody's child and he's the remaining parent to my grandchildren
more than four years would pass before the case ever went to trial and during that time the defense would retain their
own medical examiner the former Chief medical examiner for the state of Alabama and he had a drastically
different opinion than Dr Greene I believe it's a suicide see more photos from the case at
48hours.com [Music] in November 2022 more than five years after Tiffany Crawford died her husband
Jason Crawford went on trial for her murder prosecutor Jeff Roberts was confident in
his case but he knew there would be challenges the fact that it was considered by the officers on the scene
apparently consistent with suicide I thought this is going to be really tough to overcome Jason's defense attorneys
Robert Tuten and Nicholas Heatherly also felt that they had their work cut out for them simply because there's no way
to really find a definitive answer for exactly what happened we were only allowed to film The Trial from outside
the courtroom through a windowed door Tiffany's mother Cheryl who said she didn't want to hear the details
surrounding her daughter's death chose not to attend the trial I knew that there would be things said on both sides
that I didn't want to have in my head but she did go on day one solely to testify she was the prosecutor's first
Witness he assumed that I was on their side instead Cheryl says she told the jury
how she really felt about Jason I never had any issues with Jason Megan Brock was a juror on the case she
was telling everybody me and Jason have a great relationship I was like really you thought it was weird that his
mother-in-law might still be supporting him as he's on trial for murder yep undeterred the prosecution moved on with
what they felt was evidence of Jason's alleged motive anger over his wife's affair
a friend of Tiffany's testified that Jason called her after learning that Tiffany had been cheating on him and
that he said he couldn't go through this again referencing the fact that his first wife
had also had an affair Jason claims he didn't say that his first wife cheated on him
Tiffany cheated on him isn't it plausible for somebody on the jury to think hey look the guy snapped
so he killed her I don't think that happened at all he didn't snap over his first wife they remained friends even to
this day how old is she Jason's 9-1-1 call was also played for the jury and they saw some of that police body
camera footage too the prosecution also called DNA analyst Angela Fletcher who examines swabs taken
from Tiffany's gun she testified she couldn't say for sure whether there was any female DNA on the
gun because there was only a trace amount of DNA detected but she was certain that both the grip
and the trigger contained male DNA is it Jason Crawford no the profile was so limited that I was
unable to do any type of comparisons there's other people that have touched that gun that were
males my my dad gave her the gun so his DNA may be on it her brother also shot it with so little DNA detected the
prosecution argued that Jason must have wiped the gun and then planted it in Tiffany's hand there's no proof there's
no evidence of it at all no her DNA would have had to be on that gun if she did it herself
but perhaps the most damaging testimony against Jason came from medical examiner Dr Valerie
Greene she told the jury how she believes the gunshot wound to Tiffany's Temple was
fired for more than 10 inches away which is way more consistent with him standing
outside the car shooting her then you know her trying to hold a gun you know over 10 inches away but the defense
showed the jury a pre-recorded deposition with their own medical examiner Dr James lauritzen I believe
that Mrs Crawford shot herself first in the left side of the face and then shot herself in the left side
of the hair Dr lauridsen also testified there is no way to tell how far away the
gun was when that shot to Tiffany's Temple was fired because her hair was in the way I do
realize that scalp hair can filter out gunpowder particles but that was taken into consideration I would expect more
abrasions to have been able to filter through her hair the defense also argued that Tiffany had
been struggling emotionally she had started seeing a counselor just one day before she died
and Friends of Tiffany testified that she had been drinking excessively and that she was upset because the man with
whom she was having an affair had recently broken up with her they told her he didn't want to have anything else
to do with her basically her whole life's falling apart and I think she just gave up
Tiffany's Journal was also entered into evidence and in an entry dated the day she died
she wrote that she was struggling with figuring out what to do with herself and that she was trying to avoid breaking
down isn't it possible that she was having thoughts of suicide I would say no she had started seeing a counselor
that's somebody who was looking forward in life Jason's son Logan also took the stand
for the defense he testified that he heard his father inside the house when the gunshots went
off that night but the prosecution questions his memory when he keeps hearing the same story his
story is going to start matching up somewhat like all 14 year olds would his story never changed he was interviewed
by law enforcement and it would stay consistent as the trial was drawing to a close the defense made a bold decision
they called Jason to the stand he testified that he loved Tiffany and denied killing her
but both the prosecution and the defense acknowledge there was a point where he lost his cool he argued a little bit
with the prosecutor the person on the stand was the person that you could easily see doing this Jason also
testified that he called Tiffany a degrading name that night she died you said to the jury I was trying as best I
could to make her hurt inside as much as I was hurting yeah I was just basically talking down to her
like she was not human I feel sorry because I feel like maybe that contributed to what pushed her to over
the edge to do that even though Jason's testimony likely did him no favors there was still no direct physical
evidence pointing towards his guilt there's no evidence that Jason fired the gun and after four days of testimony the
case went to the jury I said oh God here we go I don't know if this man did it or not
it was November 18 2022 and Jason Crawford's fate was now in the hands of a jury
behind closed doors Megan Brock says she and several fellow jurors were on the fence about his guilt
and I was like so we're gonna sit here for the next however long it takes my stomach was in
knots Cheryl McGuckin admits she was nervous for Jason and his family you know this is my son-in-law
after several hours deliberating the jury requested access to that body camera footage
then they asked for the 9-1-1 recording my wife's a shot I need someone out here
please 30 minutes later they announced they had reached a decision Cheryl was in the courtroom only for the
second time and who were you with the verdict I was sitting with my husband right
behind Jason's parents and the rest of his family as for the verdict this is how Megan
says the jury came to their decision when we listened to that 9-1-1 call again that was it
so the 911 that was it really the operator she keeps asking him you know who shot her maybe she even shot by
finally um she was like okay well where's the gun at and he said laying beside her
and we were like wait what happened he clearly said the gun is laying beside her when in fact the body can't that I
just showed her holding the gun barely but holding the gun the gun wasn't laying beside her it was
beside her because it's on her side in her hand they found a gun in her hand yes
you understand the difference between in her hand and laying beside her to some people yes like the side hurts
to the side like laying on her it's beside her I just chose the wrong words to say but
the jury did not see it that way I said oh he's guilty everybody's the same thing they were
like he's guilty the verdict was guilty yes just felt like it it shouldn't be happening
it was unbelievable so I was just stunned you know I had a friend that said Hallelujah
and that really bothered me because that wasn't anything to cheer about there's no justice here
everybody loses you were a grandmother and there are two kids left behind who had nothing to do
with this right exactly but at the end of the day this man was put on trial the evidence was heard he was convicted
so he is a killer in the eyes of the law you know they're they're gonna do an appeal I don't want to
Miss speak on this at all but when you said they were doing a pill what do you mean
are you protecting him I don't have any reason to protect him um but I'm gonna let things play out as
they will following this interview I asked Cheryl if she had any interest in seeing the
evidence you said you did you asked if we could show it to you we provided you with what was in the
public record yeah yeah what do you now believe well I now believe that he did kill her
um reading the evidence going through what was said during the trial it it made it painfully obvious
on March 10 2023 Cheryl McGuckin took the stand again at Jason sentencing hearing
this time she spoke for her daughter I couldn't understand how my son-in-law Jason could look me in the eye for five
and a half years if he had murdered my daughter our cameras were again outside the
courtroom looking in so Cheryl shared with us what she said directly to Jason if not you who
you were there you know the truth I pray you will someday find wisdom and strength to speak the truth
she said that in front of her grandchildren too they were sitting in the very front row
Cheryl didn't know that Jason's parents were going to bring them as the judge prepared to sentence Jason
Crawford his lawyers were still pleading his innocence just as Jason did when I first spoke with him
if I could interview Tiffany today what do you think she'd tell me probably that she's sorry she's
didn't realize that it would affect so many people like like it did she wouldn't tell me that you're a liar
and a killer no I don't think so Jason was sentenced to 99 years in prison but under Alabama Law he'll be
eligible for parole in in 15 years what do you think Tiffany would say now having seen you on the stand I can hear
her saying I'm proud of you Mama now Cheryl just wants to make sure that her grandchildren are proud of their
mother never forget who Tiffany was and what she stood for she was just an angel that
came down from heaven for a short time teach all of us how to love and be kind and be giving
[Music] I'm Aaron Moriarty and this is my life of crime listen to My Life Of Crime from
48 Hours wherever you get your podcasts hit the CBS Evening News we focus on Solutions finding solutions to help
people understand what are the right choices to make for you and your family [Music]

A young mother found dead in her car. Could she have shot herself twice? "48 Hours" contributor David Begnaud reports. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

Brief Summary

The episode details Tiffany Crawford's death, Jason Crawford's trial for murder, and the emotional fallout for their family.

Key points

Conflicting Views on Guilt. Jason's calm demeanor during the 9-1-1 call raises suspicions about his involvement.
The Argument Before the Shots. Jason recalls a heated argument with Tiffany just before her death.
Tiffany's Tragic Death. Tiffany Crawford was found dead in her van, raising questions about suicide or murder.
The Affair Revealed. Jason discovered Tiffany's affair hours before her death, leading to a confrontation.
Autopsy Results Shock. The autopsy ruled Tiffany's death a homicide, leading to Jason's indictment.
Trial Begins for Jason Crawford. More than five years after Tiffany's death, her husband Jason goes on trial for murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I never ever thought that he was guilty.

Cheryl's belief in Jason's innocence.

3:28WatchMar 31, 2023

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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