They were friends for ten years until he tried evicting her. Then, he fatally shot her 9 times.
On Monday, a Cobb County judge sentenced a Georgia man, Carl Crawford, to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the shooting death of his longtime friend, Juanita McFadden. Crawford was found guilty and convicted by a jury of felony murder, malice murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
According to prosecutors, on Nov. 18, 2020, Crawford and McFadden had been arguing when the defendant tried to evict the victim from his apartment in Smyrna. Since middle school, the duo had been friends, and McFadden frequented Crawford’s apartment over the years. In addition, she dated the defendant’s roommate for a period, hence living at the residence intermittently for many years.
Soon, a violent altercation ensued when the 27-year-old McFadden refused to move her belongings from the apartment. As a result, Crawford pulled out a 9mm handgun and fatally shot McFadden nine times.
“This was a tragic and completely avoidable loss of life. There were no winners in this case. Both Ms. McFadden’s and Mr. Crawford’s families will have to carry this burden for the rest of their lives,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Paul Camarillo, according to Patch.
Authorities arrested Crawford on the scene, while he admitted to shooting McFadden.
Family members of the victim described the defendant as a close friend.
Crawford was sentenced to additional five years in prison.
