Man pleads guilty to killing brother

POCAHONTAS, Arkansas (KAIT) – A judge sentenced a 22-year-old Pocahontas man who shot and killed his brother to 20 years in prison.

The trial of Shaun Caleb Crawford for first-degree murder was scheduled to begin on Monday, August 19.

But on Tuesday he waived his right to a jury trial and pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of manslaughter and tampering with evidence.

Third District Judge Rob Ratton sentenced Crawford to 120 months in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for manslaughter and 60 months for tampering, to be served concurrently. He received credit for 493 days served.

The charge of possession of weapons against certain individuals was not pursued further.

According to court documents, Crawford was arguing with his brother on April 16, 2023, when he pulled a Glock pistol from his waistband and threw it at his brother Ian.

As he did so, Crawford said, the gunshot went off.

“When Shaun demonstrated throwing the gun with a prop weapon, his finger was on the trigger,” Detective Jonathan Adams stated in the affidavit.

After the shooting, Crawford “panicked” and tried to clean up his brother. He later left the house and hid the gun behind a nearby church.

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