Background
In the early morning hours of October 22, 1975, Crawford and Mabra drove to the rural farm of Jack Watson1, one of Mabra's former employers. There they stole a hunting knife, lariat rope, and binoculars from an International Scout parked on the property, along with two shotguns (.12 and .410 gauge) and a .22 caliber rifle.2
Timeline of October 22, 1975
The Vineyard Apartments at 1119 S Polk, where Crawford's apartment was located
- Shortly after midnight — Crawford was awakened in his apartment by his friend, David Mabra.
- ~45 minutes later — The two men drove to Jack Watson's farm and stole firearms and other goods from an International Scout.
- After the theft — They returned to Crawford's apartment with the stolen goods.
- First attempt (7-11) — The two men rode in Crawford's pickup to a 7-11 Store intending to rob the cashier. They became nervous and abandoned the plan.
- Second attempt (Exxon) — They drove to an Exxon service station with similar intentions. Again they became nervous and left without robbing the attendant.
- The robbery (Toot 'n Totum) — Crawford and Mabra drove to a Toot 'n Totum food store, parking the truck where it could not be readily seen. Carrying the stolen .410 shotgun, they entered the store and robbed night cashier Edith Whitfield of $32.00.
- The shooting — After Mrs. Whitfield handed Crawford the contents of the cash register in a paper bag, he fired at her, narrowly missing her head. He then fired a second shot at point-blank range, striking Mrs. Whitfield in the left eye and killing her.
- Flight — The two men fled and returned to Crawford's apartment, where they gathered all the goods stolen from the Watson farm and placed them, along with the murder weapon, in the trunk of Mabra's car.
- Traffic stop — Heading for the Watson farm, the pair was stopped by Amarillo police officer Thomas Porter at 3:20 a.m. near 10th Ave & Harrison Street because the car's muffler made excessive noise. Mabra was issued a traffic citation and both were interviewed. Mabra gave the officer permission to search the car, but Officer Porter declined. The two were told they were free to go.
- Concealment — Crawford and Mabra proceeded to the Watson farm and replaced the stolen items, including the murder weapon, in the Scout from which they had been taken, then drove back to Amarillo.
The shooting
Toot n Totum at 1500 S. Grand, location of Edith Whitfield's shooting death
During the robbery, Whitfield handed over the contents of the cash register in a paper bag. Crawford then fired at her, narrowly missing her head, before firing a second shot at point-blank range that struck her in the left eye, killing her. The pair fled with approximately $32.00.
Crawford's boasts
Three weeks after the murder, Crawford and Mabra initiated a conversation with Jim White, a neighbor and friend. Crawford bragged that he and Mabra had robbed the Toot 'n Totum and that he himself had shot the clerk in the eye and "pushed her brains out the top of her head." Crawford described their flight, the encounter with Officer Porter, and a return trip to the scene to determine whether the store had security cameras that might have recorded the crime.
Crawford told White that if Officer Porter had opened the trunk of Mabra's car, he would have stabbed him. White testified that Crawford showed no shame, sorrow, or guilt as he described the details of the crime. Crawford's only expressed regret was that he did not stop to eat candy while inside the store.
White later informed Amarillo police detective Gary Richards of the conversation. Crawford and Mabra were both interviewed by Detective Richards and released.
After their release, the two returned to the Watson farm and re-stole the .410 and .12 gauge shotguns. Crawford sold them to two workers at Maywood, Inc., where he was employed.
Admissions to coworkers and others
Prior to his arrest, Crawford admitted his involvement in the murder to several people:
Karen Richie testified that Crawford told her that he had done the shooting. He laughed about the incident.
Sandra Carreker testified that Crawford stated to her on a coffee break, "Maybe they'll come and get [me] for shooting that old lady." On that occasion, too, he laughed about the murder.
Keith Carreker testified that Crawford told him that he "shot that old bitch in the face." Carreker stated that when he asked Crawford if he was drunk, Crawford answered that he was cold sober and that if Carreker said anything to anyone about the murder his partner would "waste him."
October 25, 1975
On Oct. 25, the Toot'n Totum Food Stores of Amarillo announced a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the slaying of Mrs. Whitfield.
January 1976 concert and burglary
Ricky Wayne Holik testified that in January 1976, he, David Mabra and the Crawford attended a concert in Amarillo. After the concert, at Crawford's instigation, the three of them went to Maywood, Inc. There they burglarized the building and stole a number of tools. To destroy evidence of the break in, Crawford set fire to the building.
Arrest and confessions
On August 25, 1976, Crawford and Mabra were arrested for the burglary of the Maywood plant. While in custody, Crawford confessed to the burglary and, later, to the murder of Edith Whitfield. His written confession was admitted into evidence at trial.
Crawford testified that he signed the confession to clear his conscience and that he felt a great sense of relief afterward. However, after reading Mabra's statement, Crawford told Detective Garrett, "My God, he's putting us both in the electric chair," and immediately gave a second written statement admitting his involvement but blaming the shooting on David Mabra.
Crawford's confession at trial
Crawford testified in his own defense. He admitted being a party to the offense but denied carrying the shotgun into the store or killing the deceased, testifying that Mabra killed Whitfield. In his written confession, Crawford stated that Mabra was carrying the shotgun and that it discharged accidentally when Mabra "popped it down against the cash register," followed by a second shot.
... We went in the Toot N Totum and David was carrying the shotgun. He had it beside his leg.
The lady was watching me and he stood in front of the cash register. I went and got some hamburger buns and some lunch meat and came back to the counter.
David said "You want to give us some money".
She said "What".
He said "Do you want to give us some money".
She said "Why no, o[f] course not".
He put the shotgun on top of the cash register and she said "Anything you want".
She opened the cash register and got all the money out of the cash register and put it in a little sack and said "Do you want the change" and I said "No, we don't want the change, what is under the drawer".
She raised up the drawer and said "There is only this dime, there is no money here". I said "Well give us the dime".
I put the dime in the bag and I took the bag and the lunch meat and the hamburger buns and stepped back from the counter and dropped them. I picked them back up and David put the shotgun back on top of the cash register. When he did, he popped it down against the cash register and it went off. It blew her hair up and scared her and it hurt her because she just moaned so he shot her again. He just stood there with his mouth open and the shotgun on the cash register. I grabbed him by the coat and dragged him out of the store. We got outside and got in the pickup and went back to my apartment...
Mabra's first confession
Mabra's first confession implicated Crawford as the triggerman, stating that Crawford carried the shotgun behind him, placed it on the cash register, and fired twice:
... Donny parked his pickup in front of the store and I got out to get my snuff. Donny said as I got out of the truck, "I think I'll rob this place."
I thought he was joking as we are all the time making comments like this to each other. I went in and picked up a can of Copenhagen snuff and started to put it on the counter. At this time, I heard Donny open the door and looked around and I saw that Donny had the shotgun behind him.
Donny said to the lady clerk, "Give me your money."
She said, "You've got to be kidding. Is this some kind of joke?"
Donny then pulled the shotgun out and placed it on top of the cash register. She gave him the money in a paper sack and then Donny shot one time. He was holding it with one hand and missed the first shot. I saw the lady's hair kinda fluff out and I saw the shot hit the wall.
I turned and was trying to get out of the store and yelled "Crawford". As I was running out, I heard the second shot. I did not pay for the snuff and I was so scared that I crushed the can of snuff in my hands. I got back in the pickup and Donny was right behind me...
Mabra's second confession
Mabra gave a second confession in which he stated that he himself carried the .410 shotgun into the store, held it on the clerk, and threatened her with it before his companion grabbed the gun and it went off twice, killing her. Mabra acknowledged that his first statement had "left out the truth" about his participation:
One other fellow and I drove up to the Toot `n Totum store in the early morning hours, well after midnight, and we went in with the intention of robbing the store.
I carried in a.410 shotgun, and I held it on the lady who was the clerk, who I now know to be named Whitfield, while we robbed her, and I also was threatening her with the shotgun after we robbed her when my companion grabbed the gun and it went off twice, shooting the clerk in the head and killing her. My companion and I ran from the store...
The previous statement which I gave to Officers Kirkwood and Collins last night left out the truth about my participation in our attempt to rob the Toot `n Totum and the way I handled the gun and threatened the clerk before she was shot, but this statement truthfully described my real part in the crime. (emphasis added)
September 4, 1976 Pretrial hearing
Rick Melton, 21, of 908 N. Tyler testified that Mabia told him Mabra had passed a lie detector test in connection with the shooting of Mrs. Whitfield. Melton said the conversation occurred about the first of May 1976.3
District Attorney Curtis reminded Melton that a sworn affidavit he signed on Aug. 30 said, "David" had shot somebody and taken a polygraph test and gotten away with it.
Police Officer Thomas Porter, testified he stopped a 1968 Chevrolet near W. 10th and S. Tyler in the early hours of Oct. 22 because of the vehicle's noisy muffler. He said he issued a citation to the driver, whose operator's license identified him as Mabra. Porter said the time he talked with the two men was 3:20 a.m.
Ronald Cockrell, 17, of 1030 S. Travis, said Donny Crawford tried to sell him a shotgun in October or November of 1975. He said the offer was made in the street in front of 1119 S. Polk, where Crawford had an apartment.
Cockrell said the $35 price quoted by Crawford caused him to ask Crawford "how hot" the weapon was. Cockrell said he thought had been stolen.
Trial and conviction
The pair were initially slated to have a joint trial in 181st District Court. Mabra's attorney filed a motion for a separate trial, which was granted. Mabra was then tried in Lubbock, Texas.4
Crawford was convicted of capital murder upon a plea of guilty. Punishment was assessed at death.2
The suppressed confession
At trial, the State objected to defense counsel's attempt to read Mabra's second confession. The court sustained the objection and prohibited Crawford from reading the confession to the jury or alluding to it in any way.
At the hearing on Crawford's motion for new trial, it was stipulated that:
- At the time of trial, the prosecutor was aware of Mabra's second confession; and
- The prosecutor knew that the results of a lie detector (polygraph) test administered to Mabra indicated that the second confession was the truth.
This suppression of potentially exculpatory evidence formed the central issue of Crawford's appeal, raising questions under Brady v. Maryland regarding the prosecution's duty to disclose evidence favorable to the accused.
Sentence reduction and parole
After several decades of post-conviction writs, Crawford's death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment in 1987. He was paroled on April 2, 1991.
