An elderly couple in Arizona welcomed the woman’s son into their home, only to have him turn on them with brutal violence, leaving one dead and the other severely injured.
Gary Crawford, 56, was sentenced this week to life in prison plus an additional 21 years for killing his stepfather, Oscar Casdorph, 91, and critically wounding his 81-year-old mother during an attack in November 2025.
“This defendant’s family took him in, and he betrayed them in the worst way imaginable,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement announcing the sentence on Wednesday.
“This sentence ensures he spends the rest of his life in prison, exactly where he belongs,” Mitchell added. “My thoughts are with the victims’ families as they continue to grieve and try to heal.”
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Court documents obtained by AZ Family lay out how Crawford beat his stepfather to death with a hammer. He then tried to do the same to his mother before shooting her in the head. She managed to survive the attack.
“On November 22, 2025, Gilbert Police were called to a home near McQueen and Elliot roads for a welfare check,” the county attorney’s office said in its release. “The caller said she was supposed to go to dinner with her 91-year-old father, but he was not answering the door. Officers made their way inside and found Oscar Casdorph bludgeoned to death with a hammer.”
Investigators later determined that Crawford had moved into the home just weeks before the killing. When police arrived at the scene, both Crawford and one of his parents’ vehicles were nowhere to be found.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that after attacking the victims, Crawford stole their cellphones and Oscar’s bank card, which he used to withdraw $1,500,” the office said. “Police tracked Crawford in the stolen car and arrested him.”
Court records show Crawford pleaded guilty in August to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
