Judge denies bail reduction in Martin City alleged murder

Judge Dan Wilson denied a request to lower bail for accused killer Del Orrin Crawford in Flathead County District Court on Wednesday, while also questioning the strength of Crawford’s potential self-defense case.

Crawford, 40, of Kila, faces counts of deliberate homicide, attempted deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence following the shooting death of Whisper Sellars outside of a Martin City bar in late August. Crawford also allegedly shot and wounded her common law husband, Doug Crosswhite, in the incident, which began over a golf cart, before fleeing and discarding his gun.

Crawford pleaded not guilty to all charges Sept. 6.

Bail was set at $750,000 and Crawford has remained behind bars since he was booked into county jail Aug. 27. Defense attorney Daniel Wood sought to see that reduced Oct. 19 to an amount that family and friends could help cover.

Wood took a multipronged approach to the request, calling Crawford’s ex-wife and current girlfriend to the witness stand to testify to his character, past behavior, work habits and financial means. Amanda Hawley, Crawford’s significant other, told the court she knew him to carry a firearm, but never saw him pull it out or flash it.

She described him as an “upstanding” member of the community and said he worked in property management and maintenance for the wealthy. Were he released, Crawford likely would reside at his home or with her, Hawley said.

“[Crawford’s] not a threat, not a flight risk,” she said. His ex-wife, Krystal Crawford, said the two co-parented their children and remained on good terms following their divorce about five years ago. She recalled knowing that Del Crawford typically carried a concealed weapon, but rarely saw it. Krystal Crawford also testified that her former husband stressed gun safety, calling it a “priority” in their household.

While she had seen him angry before, “never ever have I seen a weapon come out,” Krystal Crawford said.

She described him as an avid outdoorsman who had spent most of his life in Flathead County. He had little reason to leave and even less inclination, she said. Were he released, he would return to work, she testified.

Echoing Hawley, Krystal Crawford said he had little reason to return to the Martin City area if released from county jail.

Witnesses called up by Deputy County Attorney Stacy Boman offered a different assessment. Robert Crosswhite, father of Doug Crosswhite, noted that the shooting occurred in front of his family. They were all witnesses, he said, and Crawford knows where they live.

“My entire family, all of my kids, were there at the scene,” he said. “He got into a verbal dispute with my daughter-in-law and ended up shooting her. … That should never have happened.”

Robert Crosswhite described Crawford as a likely desperate man, given the seriousness of the charges filed against him.

Whisper Sellars’ brother, Christopher Gilham, said community safety served as his primary concern before trying to address Crawford directly, which earned a rebuke from Wilson.

“Thank you, Del,” he said as he left the stand.

WOOD, THOUGH, brought up potential use of self-defense as a justification for the shooting, calling Jason Parce, an investigator with the public defender’s office, to the witness stand. While Boman objected to Parce’s testimony, Wilson allowed it.

Wood used Parce’s testimony, which included recalling conflicting witness accounts, hearsay and police reports, to craft an argument wherein an outnumbered Crawford reacted after getting shoved over a large rock serving to delineate a parking area and possibly hitting his head on a nearby wall or barrier. A crowd had formed around him, Wood said, and one of that number allegedly earlier said that law enforcement either would not come to the bar or fail to arrive in time.

Crawford, Wood argued, lacked a criminal history beyond a misdemeanor driving under the influence conviction, and carried a firearm without incident for decades. He held deep ties to the community and had a job waiting for him upon release, Wood said.

Wilson interrupted Wood’s argument to question his case for self defense. Evidence presented at the hearing failed to justify the use of a firearm, the judge noted. “I have not heard any evidence that anyone threatened Mr. Crawford with a weapon,” Wilson said.

When it came time for Boman’s response, she noted that Crawford was the one to bring a weapon into the disagreement.

“The defendant fell and the defendant introduced a firearm into the situation,” she told the court before asking that bail remain set as-is.

Wilson reiterated his conclusion that Wood’s self-defense theory was built around scant evidence as he ruled against the bail reduction request.

“The court does not see what sort of imminent threat Mr. Crawford confronted when he fired the firearm that killed, allegedly, one person and allegedly grievously injured another,” he said.

The fact that Crawford had carried a firearm for years without incident made the situation even more concerning, Wilson said, calling it an “inexplicable departure” from his previous life as a law-abiding citizen.

His words drew scattered applause from Sellars’ and Crosswhite’s relatives in attendance. Crawford was remanded back into the custody of the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office following the hearing. He is next due in court for a Jan. 4 pretrial conference.