A former Maryland police chief has been given eight life sentences plus 75 years after he was convicted of setting 12 ‘revenge fires’ against people he held grudges against.
David M. Crawford, 71, was handed down a hefty sentence on Tuesday after he was convicted of targeting 12 victims across six counties between 2011 and 2020.
Crawford, who worked as a the Laurel police chief from 2006 to 2010, was arrested in early 2021 after police executed a search warrant at home and found a ‘target list’ titled Expedition Unknown in his phone. Nine of the 11 people found on the list were associates or relatives of the officer and a couple of people had numbers marked next to their names, indicating they had been hit multiple times.
His Apple Watch data also showed Crawford was active around 3am, when all the fires occurred.
His targets included his stepson, his chiropractor, his Laurel police chief successor, former colleagues in Prince George’s County, one of his wife’s acquaintances through a foster care organization, among others, the Baltimore Banner and The New York Times reported.
David Crawford, 71, was handed down eight life sentences after he was convicted of targeting 12 victims across six counties between 2011 and 2020. Prosecutors found a hitlist on his phone titled Expedition Unknown, as well search history of his victim’s addresses while executing a search warrant in 2021
Prosecutors also referred to a video of Crawford pouring gasoline on one of the victim’s home
The former chief was charged with three counts of first-degree arson and four counts of attempted first-degree murder, among others. His eight life sentences will run concurrently.
In addition, Crawford has already pleaded guilty to arson, for which he received a 20-year sentence in Frederick County, according to state records. He also has cases pending in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.
His lawyer, Robert C. Bonsib said they will appeal the decision, as he argued that arson can only receive a maximum sentence of 28 years.
He said: ‘This is a sad and unfortunate ending for a man who for decades had well-served his community in law enforcement. Mr. Crawford continues to maintain his innocence.’
DailyMail.com has contacted Bonsib for comment.
Despite Crawford maintaining his innocence, prosecutors are happy with the sentence, saying he ‘should have been someone who understood justice, empathy and order.’
One of the homes he lit on fire caused large flames to consume the home, burning part of it to the ground
Prosecutors said Crawford ‘lacks basic humanity’ and said the man’s vanity license plate and his number on his gasoline can matched (pictured: one of the victim’s homes)
One of his victims, Quinn Henderson (left), called her assailant ‘hypocritical’ for saying ‘with God, all things are possible’ instead of apologizing to the people whose lives he ‘ruined.’ She was targeted twice by Crawford. His lawyer, Robert C. Bonsib (right) said they will appeal the decision, as he argued that arson can only receive a maximum sentence of 28 years. He also maintains Crawford’s innocence
‘Instead, he acted in a violent way,’ State Attorney Richard H. Gibson Jr. said. ‘In light of the defendant’s age, he is not likely to breathe free air again, and we think it’s appropriate. Today, the bill came due for this defendant.
‘Mr. Crawford is someone who lacks basic humanity.’
He also pointed out that Crawford’s vanity license plate and the number printed on the gasoline can used in the fires matched and that the police chief had contacted his victims after setting their homes on fire.
One of his victims, Quinn Henderson, called her assailant ‘hypocritical’ for saying ‘with God, all things are possible’ instead of apologizing to the people whose lives he ‘ruined.’
‘His mention of God was so hypocritical when he literally ruined a bunch of people’s lives,’ the 22-year-old, who was hit multiple times by Crawford, told WBAL. Henderson was only a teenager when the former law enforcement officer lit up her home.
‘I’m ready to live my own life without him looming me and without being afraid.’
His victims included his stepson, his former chiropractor, his Laurel police chief successor, former collogues in Prince George’s County, among others (pictured: one of the victim’s homes)
Prosecutors were able to connect Crawford to the dozen fires after establishing the similar pattern in which they occurred (pictured: one of the victim’s homes)
Crawford’s own estranged daughter, Carrie Turner, was not surprised by her father’s wrongdoing, telling the courtroom at one point that he didn’t need much to hold a grudge. She recalled her father telling her in grade school: ‘If somebody hits you, you hit them harder’ (pictured: one of the victim’s homes)
Crawford’s own estranged daughter, Carrie Turner, was not surprised by her father’s wrongdoing, telling the courtroom at one point that he didn’t need much to hold a grudge. She recalled her father telling her in grade school: ‘If somebody hits you, you hit them harder.’
Prosecutors were able to connect Crawford to the dozen fires after establishing the similar pattern in which they occurred, in addition the watch data and his hitlist. In addition, surveillance footage caught him wearing a sweatshirt with a hood pouring gasoline outside a home.
He also had looked up his victim’s addresses before plugging them into Google Maps, which one around the time of the fire. He also had reminders on his phone reminding him about the fires, such a ‘McLaughlin fire.’
‘The commonalities are obvious,’ Assistant State’s Attorney Scott Hammond told jurors during the trial.
Most of the victims said they do not know why Crawford for target them. ‘By all accounts, [we] had an amicable relationship,’ his ex-chiropractor Russell Antico said.