Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — A Salt Lake man accused of setting fire to his Capitol Hill house and killing his estranged husband last month made his first appearance in 3rd District Court on Monday.
Craig A. Crawford, 47, appeared via video from the Salt Lake County Jail where he is being held without bail. He faces one count each of aggravated murder and aggravated arson, first-degree felonies. The aggravated murder charge is a capital offense potentially punishable by death.
Crawford waived a formal reading of the charges, and Judge Heather Brereton scheduled his next court hearing for July 1. His attorney, Jim Bradshaw, declined to speak to reporters as he left the courtroom.
Prosecutors allege Crawford intentionally set the fire, killing prominent restaurateur John Williams, who had filed for divorce and sought a restraining order earlier in the month. After starting the blaze, Crawford wandered to a neighbor's house and then sprayed water on trees and plants at his house as the fire burned and consumed Williams, investigators say.
The fire started in the foyer on the second floor of the four-story house at 574 N. East Capitol St. in the early morning hours of May 22, according to charging documents. The blaze rendered the stairway to the upper levels unusable, trapping Williams in the fourth level bedroom where firefighters found him dead on the floor.
An autopsy determined Williams, 71, died of smoke inhalation, the charges state.
Williams was apparently alive when firefighters arrived at the house as they reported hearing cries for help from a man inside.
While searching for Williams, firefighters found the staircase leading to the third and fourth floors largely collapsed, preventing them from reaching the upper levels of the home from the interior. Firefighters used two ladders on the outside of the house and cut an access hole in the wall to reach the home's third level, then broke a window to reach the fourth floor
Williams told a friend at dinner the night before that he was ending his relationship with Crawford, according the charges. Williams expressed fear of Crawford and discussed obtaining a restraining order against him.
During dinner, Williams received multiple calls from Crawford on his cellphone and the restaurant staff came to the table to tell him Crawford was on the restaurant phone asking to talk to him, the charges state. The friend told investigators he was concerned about Williams going home while Crawford was there.
Court records show Williams filed for divorce from Crawford on May 4. Williams petitioned for a temporary restraining order against Crawford but was denied May 6, according to court records. Crawford also sought a protective order against Williams that was denied on May 13.
An attorney for Williams was helping his client evict Crawford from the home and posted a five-day eviction notice on the house two days before the fire on May 20, the charges state.
