SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man who admitted guilt for killing his wife and her boyfriend in 2023 was supposed to learn his fate Wednesday. He changed his mind and surprised the judge.
Prior to sentencing, 63-year-old Charles Crawford of Wichita, told Judge Jeffrey Goering he wanted to withdraw his plea, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office. In December, Crawford pled no contest to two counts of 1st degree murder for the deaths of his 50-year-old wife Vanessa Crawford and her 58-year-old boyfriend Donald Eckert.
Judge Goering appointed new attorneys to represent Crawford and scheduled a status hearing on his motion to withdraw his plea. The hearing is scheduled for February 26.
In July of 2023, a woman dropping off her child at an in-home daycare saw the two homicide victims through a window of a home in the 1100 Block of North Woodrow in Wichita, according to Officer Kris Gupilan. The victims were identified as Vanessa Crawford and Donald Eckert both of Wichita.
While the investigation was taking place on the scene, Charles Crawford arrived with a gun pointed at his own head. Officers took cover for safety and immediately requested the assistance of SWAT and Crisis Negotiators. A standoff ensued with Crawford but it ended peacefully when he surrendered and was taken into custody