Son Charged in Brutal Machete Ki-ll-ing of Mother as Sh0cking New Details Emerge in Queens Case
A Queens man is accused of killing his own mother in a brutal machete attack inside their Far Rockaway home, then running into the ocean in an apparent attempt to flee.
Police say 26-year-old Amel Crawford attacked 61-year-old Joanne Crawford Tuesday morning, leaving her with multiple fatal wounds.
“The victim sustained 11 stab wounds,” Queens Assistant District Attorney Lindsey Ruzza said in court. “A stab wound to the abdomen went through the liver and through the entire body. A knife was shoved down her throat which split her tongue in half and perforated the trachea.”
Officers responded to the home around 10:40 a.m., where they found the retired corrections officer unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities say Crawford fled toward Beach 62nd Street and ran into the water before being taken into custody. Investigators believe the move may have been an attempt to escape or harm himself.
Neighbors say the violence is hard to comprehend, describing the family as long-time residents of the area. Some recalled watching Crawford grow up, making the incident even more unsettling.
Amel Crawford, who has no criminal record, had a strained relationship with his mother tied to her career as a city corrections officer, according to relatives.
“He never was a troubled kid outside; he just had problems with her,” his cousin, Barry Crawford, said.
“I think his biggest problem was that she worked for corrections, so she was never home. He felt that she never gave him the quality time that he desired.”
Amel Crawford was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon and is being held without bail.
