Branson West Woman Found Not Guilty Of “Running Neighbor Down”:
By Kathee Baird
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| Marjorie Crawford four days after she was hit with weed eater |
Galena, Mo.- A woman from Branson West accused of running down her neighbor last year was found not guilty by a jury today in Stone County.
Prosecutors charged Marjorie Irene Crawford with two counts of assault, two counts of armed criminal action and DWI following the May 29th incident. One count of assault and the armed criminal action charges were dismissed prior to this weeks trial.
Jennifer Richardson told jurors that Marjorie backed down her driveway on North Tracy Lane at a high rate of speed and slammed the car into her husband, Craig, who was weed eating part of Crawford’s property about 9 p.m. Craig Richardson said he broke the window out of Crawford’s vehicle with the weed eater after “she said something like get her or hit her” and he took that to mean his wife or daughter. Richardson testified at Crawford’s preliminary hearing that he smashed the car window and hit her with the gardening tool after Crawford “said she was going to kill Jen.”-
Crawford, who admitted to drinking several beers throughout the day, says after she was attacked she went inside her home and downed 6 oz. of vodka and waited for help to arrive. A criminalist with the Highway Patrol testified that Crawford’s BAC was .166…over twice the legal limit– when it was drawn about an hour after the incident.
Craig Richardson told jurors he only hit Crawford one time with the gardening tool. However, Crawford told jurors that he hit her in the arm earlier during a dispute over where Crawford was planting trees on her property. Crawford said she was planting the trees because she was tired of the Richardson’s and their guests parking on her property. “He said have you ever had the s**t beat out of you by a man before lezzie girl before he hit me.”
Assistant Prosecutor John Taylor introduced several photos of Crawford’s facial injuries to jurors, but not one that showed significant injuries to Crawford’s shoulder and arm.
That seemed to be one of the issues that raised doubt for jurors. As they were exiting the courtroom I asked the foreperson what the tipping point for them was.
“We had a couple of nurses on the jury,” she said. “We looked at the medical records and came to the conclusion that she could not have suffered the kind of injuries she did from one blow with the back end of the weed eater. If he was willing to lie about only hitting her once, what else was he lying about."
Copyright 2014 Stone County Chronicle
11 comments:
I really think that what I had to drink is none of anyones business and why it is even in this article since I was found innocent is just beyond unjustified. What should be in here and only in here is that I was attacked and that MONSTER got by with it! Of course you have to kiss ass and put their side of bullshit story in like it was justified to prosecute the victim. We all know why I was it was because of my wife and not because of what I had to drink. All the trooper had to do was check the car and Richardson's lack of injuries since I was not arrested for 16 days after he had time to properly investigate and instead chose to lie on his report and the stand. Stone County prosecutor is corrupt and everyone who sucks their butt to get ahead is too! This article should have been about my innocense and not about what I had to drink as doesn't make any damn difference I was attacked and no one has done a thing about it but to prosecute and persecute me because I had a few beers. Well big shot idiots proved that but they also proved they do not care I was beaten almost to death and probably will be again. Thank God the jury had way more sense. Thanks Kathee
And for the record when Craig Richardson attacks me again and kills me or another female I donot want Matt Selby preening like a peacock and acting like he gives a damn and taking credit for prosecuting him and getting him off the street. He knows damn well he attacked me and I am innocent and has all along as Craig Richardson admitted at my preliminary hearing he attacked me and several times since. My kids know who to sue when the MONSTER attacks me and kills me.
I was laying the foundation for the state's case against you. The jury found you not guilty. That should be some consolation.
They had no foundation but I had been drinking so I deserved to be beaten half to death!
There is no reason to print that when I was found innocent unless you are trying to make them feel justified in prosecuting the victim.
Most reporters would have written the truth and how I was attacked you didn't write the truth about how I was attacked and what I told the jury and why they knew I was.
You know, I tried to be as unbiased as possible.
Let's not split hairs on this.
Split hairs? Really? I think when I was foung innocent the truth of what really happened should have beed published by a reporter such as yourself who is suppose to be unbiased.
As for their foundation of my drinking so I desreved the shit beat out of me I want to point out drinking has been legal since the end of prohibition in 1933.
That said if that was what they had and all they could prove is I was drinking that day but could not I was driving and Craig Richardson admitted attacking me themn they had no case against me so should never have been prosecuted he should have and still should be.
Btw when I am wrong or possibly wrong I admit it why can't you? Food for thought ;)
I think I was fair. I wrote a story when you were charged, and I wrote a followup when you were found not guilty.
Anyone else do that?
I think if you were the female that had gone through this insane ordeal you might have a different feel for the story you print and that is all I have to say.
Ok well when he kills me what are you going to write?
No one wrote anything but you so I would have been way beeter of with either nothing or the whole truth just sayin
I do take consolation in the fact I was vindicted in part by the not guilty verdict as well as the fact that Matt Selby, john Taylor, and Evan Tyrell the Trooper who totally botched the investigation as well as lied and said I didn't tell him I was attacked when emt and nurse both heard me so all made total fools of themselves and lost of course.
Yes that makes me feel a lot better I am not in jail again for being attacked. But I still have to live in fear as you know.
I say thank God for emt's and nurses because they don't see and think with what they want and what they have to gain regardless if they know they are wrong.
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