A pink revolver in a left hand, two gunshot wounds, and a mysteriously clean crime scene – the elements that would unravel Jason Crawford's carefully constructed story about his wife's "suicide." When 38-year-old Jason called 911 on May 3, 2017, claiming his wife had been shot, Cullman County deputies found 32-year-old Tiffiney Crawford slumped over in her minivan. The case initially appeared to be a suicide, but forensic evidence would tell a different story.
The investigation was compromised from the start. Jason's mother worked for the sheriff's office, creating a conflict of interest that may have influenced how the scene was processed. Despite photographs being taken, critical steps were skipped – no gunshot residue tests were performed on Jason, the house wasn't searched, and the minivan was released to the family within 24 hours, promptly cleaned before state investigators could examine it.
When the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations took over, Agent Joe Parrish began noticing troubling inconsistencies. The medical examiner determined the gunshot wounds to Tiffiney's left jaw and temple were fired from at least ten inches away – an awkward, nearly impossible position for someone attempting suicide in a confined vehicle. Though Tiffiney was right-handed, the gun was found in her left hand, with a right-handed holster discovered in the van. The absence of blood spatter on the driver's door contradicted Jason's claim that it was closed during the shooting.
The motive became clear: Jason had discovered Tiffiney's affair hours before her death. Friends revealed she had been planning to leave him, even taking a job to save money for independence. After a prolonged argument where Jason refused to let her inside their home, he claimed to have heard "a shot, a scream, and another shot" while retrieving her belongings – a timeline that made little sense.
Four years later, a jury needed just twenty minutes to convict Jason Crawford after watching body cam footage and hearing his suspicious 911 call. The small details – his refusal to answer direct questions, inconsistent statements about the gun's location, and the forensic impossibility of the suicide scenario – revealed the truth behind this calculated murder designed to look like suicide.
Source Material:
Galilee, Noah, March 11, 2023, Crawford sentenced to 99 years following murder conviction, https://www.cullmantribune.com/2023/03/11/crawford-sentenced-to-99-years-following-murder-conviction/
Begnaud, David, 48hours/CBS news, January 28, 2024, Tiffiney Crawford case: Jason Crawford's 911 call key in reaching verdict in Alabama mom's murder, says juror, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiffiney-crawford-death-jason-crawford-911-call-alabama-murder-verdict-48-hours/
Demirdjian, Gabrielle, January 27, 2024, "What happened tonight, sir?" -Tiffiney Crawford case: Could an Alabama woman have shot herself twice?, https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/tiffiney-crawford-cullman-alabama-death-investigation-photos/6/
Sack, Wendy, May 21, 2018, Local man indicted for murder of his wife, https://www.cullmantribune.com/2018/05/21/local-man-indicted-for-murder-of-his-wife/
Photo Credit:
CBS News
