Arizona Man Sentenced to Life for Hammer Murder of 91-Year-Old Stepfather

Gary Crawford, 56, beat his stepfather to death and shot his mother after they took him in. He was sentenced to life plus 21 years.

Arizona Stepson Kills 91-Year-Old Who Took Him In, Gets Life Plus 21 Years

Gary Crawford, 56, was sentenced this week to life in prison plus an additional 21 years for the hammer murder of his stepfather and the near-fatal shooting of his elderly mother, Law & Crime reports.

The attack took place on November 22, 2025, at a home near McQueen and Elliot roads in Gilbert, Arizona. Crawford had moved into the residence just weeks before the assault, after his 81-year-old mother and her husband, Oscar Casdorph, 91, agreed to take him in.

Officers were called to the home for a welfare check after a family acquaintance reported that Casdorph was not answering his door ahead of a dinner engagement. Inside, police found Casdorph bludgeoned to death with a hammer.

According to court documents obtained by AZ Family, Crawford used the same hammer to attack his mother before shooting her in the head. She survived.

Crawford and one of his parents' cars were missing when officers arrived. Investigators subsequently discovered he had stolen both victims' cellphones and Casdorph's bank card, withdrawing $1,500 from the account after the attack. Police tracked him through the stolen vehicle and arrested him.

Crawford pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in August.

"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 Wednesday. "This sentence ensures he spends the rest of his life in prison, exactly where he belongs. My thoughts are with the victims' families as they continue to grieve and try to heal."

Source: Law & Crime