A Walker County judge has granted bond to an 18-year-old who is charged with murder in the shooting death of a 46-year-old husband and father.
Timothy “Braden” Crawford is charged in the slaying of 46-year-old Stephen Justus “Fro” Morrow, whose dying words to his wife were, “Kayla, I’m dying and I love you.”
Crawford went before Judge Henry Allred Tuesday morning for an Aniah’s Law hearing.
Police and prosecutors contend that Crawford, angry over Morrow bumping his cart into his friend, waited for Morrow and his wife to leave the store and then followed and stalked them, even though his friends had tried to talk him out of doing so.
Crawford’s attorneys said the teen feared for his life when, in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant, Morrow approached Crawford’s pickup, broke out the passenger’s side window and began to crawl into the truck.
It was then Crawford shot him in the chest.
When the 1 ½ hour hearing ended, Allred granted Crawford a $250,000 cash bond. Should the teen make bond, he would be on home confinement and prohibited from access to guns or social media.
The suspect’s father, Timothy Crawford, testified that his son has been diagnosed with “high-functioning autism” and said he can’t read or write because he is dyslexic.
Crawford also said he gave his son the .9 mm handgun used in Morrow’s slaying as a gift for his 18th birthday.
Morrow’s funeral was held Monday.
Kayla Morrow attended Tuesday’s hearing and visibly emotional throughout the proceeding.
For the first time, police chronicled the events of June 3 that led to Morrow’s death.
Sumiton Assistant Police Chief Chris Lollar said that much of what happened that night was captured on video.
According to Lollar, Morrow and his wife were exiting aisle #23 of Walmart about 8:30 p.m. when Morrow accidentally bumped into Crawford’s 17-year-old friend.
The friend and his older sister had met up with Crawford at Walmart.
Morrow and his wife began to walk away, but then a verbal altercation took place.
A store employee asked Crawford and his friends to leave, and they did. Morrow, he said, walked just outside the front of the store to call 911 and wait for police.
When police arrived, they talked with all involved and told the teens they were trespassed and could not go back into Walmart.
Morrow and his wife went back into the store to finish shopping.
About 13 minutes later, Lollar said, Morrow and wife exited the store and went to the vehicle. Crawford was still in the parking lot in his truck.
When Morrow made it to the stop sign to get onto Highway 78, Lollar said Crawford fell in behind the victim’s Tahoe.
“He speeds up with his headlights off,” the assistant chief said.
Once Morrow got into the turn lane, Crawford ran the stop sign to get behind Morrow and was “revving his engine.”
Lollar said instead of heading toward home, he went in a different direction because he didn’t want Crawford to follow them to their residence.
“He did not want to take him home,” he testified.
Both vehicles eventually pulled into the parking lot of Los Reyes Mexican restaurant on Highway 78, where Lollar said video showed them circling the lot about three times.
“After watching the video, you could tell the defendant followed him,” Lollar said.
Morrow stopped his SUV and approached the passenger side of Crawford’s truck. He said Morrow “somehow breaks the passenger window” and reached inside.
Under cross examination from Crawford’s attorney, Sam Bentley, Lollar said Morrow was far enough inside of the Crawford’s truck that his feet were no longer touching the ground.
That is when Crawford shot Morrow.
The entire incident from the time of the altercation on aisle #23 until the shooting lasted 29 minutes.
Morrow was struck in the chest and airlifted to UAB Hospital where he later died.
Lollar said Crawford fled the scene and witnesses reported he passed them going about 90 mph to 100 mph.
The assistant chief said Crawford drove to the home where he lived with his parents on Bankhead Highway, just inside Jefferson County. Crawford, accompanied by his parents, immediately surrendered at the police department.
When interviewed, Crawford repeatedly told investigators that Morrow had followed him and tried to run him off the road. After police saw video, they questioned Crawford a second time and he continued with his initial story.
Ultimately, Lollar said, Crawford admitted to shooting Morrow and said it was because he was mad and angry.
Crawford’s attorney asked Lollar if the first act of violence that night was Morrow breaking Crawford’s window.
Lollar replied, “No, it was the stalking and harassing.”
Timothy Crawford testified that his son was employed by a furniture company in Dora, where he worked in the warehouse and made deliveries.
He said his son is dyslexic and was diagnosed with autism about 10 years ago. He said his son was homeschooled so that he would not be bullied and made fun of, and that he had received a high school diploma from his online school.
Deputy District Attorney Bryan Warren, in talking about the possibility of Crawford getting bond, said to the father, “You weren’t able to control him that night, what makes you think you can control him now?”
Under questioning from Warren, Timothy Crawford said his son was a grown man physically, but he didn’t see him as a grown man mentally.
Bentley point out that Crawford immediately went home and told his parents what happened and surrendered roughly 15 minutes later.
Timothy Crawford said when his son got home that night, “He was hyperventilating and couldn’t stand.”
“He was scared absolutely to death,” the father said.
