Crawford jurors hear police interviews
Ryan Collingwood Staff Writer | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 years AGO
COEUR d'ALENE — Audio and video of Heather L. Crawford being interviewed by authorities were presented in court Wednesday, the sixth day of the Silver Valley woman's murder trial.
Crawford allegedly suffocated 22-month Ezra Wilson, the daughter of ex-boyfriend Hiram Wilson, in their Kingston home the night of Aug. 22, 2014.
The 28-year-old is facing first-degree murder charges. She was released on bond in January 2015.
Both recordings were evidence presented by the prosecution, which had two witnesses come to the stand including former Shoshone County deputy Justin Olson and former Idaho State Police Det. Charles Greear, who headed this investigation.
The recorded interviews were conducted by police investigators soon after the child's death.
On the night Ezra died, Crawford claims she woke up to a cold breeze and open doors before noticing the baby wasn't in her playpen. When she walked into the bathroom, she saw the words "murder scumbag daughter" written on the mirror before waking Wilson. Together, the pair searched the house before they found the child in a small bed, unresponsive.
Olson and Greear each recorded interviews with Crawford. When Olson asked if she knew of anyone who could possibly do harm to Ezra, she quickly mentioned an acquaintance, Travis Quimby, who had sent her a disturbing Facebook message.
In Greear's interview, Crawford mentioned Quimby and an ex-boyfriend, Ben Smith.
Quimby sent Crawford a Facebook message in the spring of 2014 saying he hoped her then-boyfriend Wilson's daughter received the same fate as a young couple who were shot and killed near Wallace in 2008.
Wilson, the son of former Pinehurst Police Chief Rocky Wilson, spent two years in prison after being convicted of two counts of accessory to murder in that double homicide.
In the audio interview with Greear, Crawford said weird things had been happening since she and Wilson moved into their remote residence in May 2014.
When Greear took questioning from the prosecution, he mentioned the search he conducted of the residence, where he said he found two black Sharpie markers, the same ink matching the dark and cryptic writing on the mirror.
Greear also said one of the doors Crawford recalled being open when she woke that evening was being held open by a flip-flop.
Greear pointed to a text message conversation Crawford had with Wilson the day Ezra died. Crawford, who has three children of her own, sent one text message that said "Ezra beat Roscoe," referring to one of their two dogs, and "I love you more and I am going to show you how much tonight."
On Sept. 25, 2014, Crawford was called for questioning again at the Idaho State Police station in Coeur d'Alene, where the interview was recorded on video. She was then arrested by ISP the following November.
The ISP video interview was played for the courtroom, but only a portion of it could be seen due to time constraints. The rest will be seen today.
Earlier in the day, jurors and observers were asked to step outside the courtroom for more than an hour Wednesday as video and audio was being prepared.
Judge Fred Gibler wasn't happy about the delay.
"It's inexcusable and it's rude to our jury," Gibler said after the second time the trial was paused on Wednesday. "I don't want them to be treated like that or this to happen again."
The trial resumes today at 9 a.m.
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