Crawford opts to defend himself in 2008 murder case

January 13, 2010

Keane Crawford is best known for running Ron Paul's campaign in Alaska. (File/KTUU-DT)

by Ashton Goodell
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- An accused murderer denied council and is now building his own case.

In opening statements Tuesday, Keane Crawford said his sister's boyfriend attacked him in 2008 and tried to take advantage of his children.

Witnesses say he was "talking crazy" and pulled a gun.

It's pretty much unheard of for an accused murderer to defend himself, but Crawford says he can tell the story better than a lawyer ever could.

Crawford is known for heading up Ron Paul's presidential campaign in Alaska.

He has a lot of ideas about how the world works, but doesn't know its laws.

"I am now under the understanding that I am not allowed to explain that?" he asked in court.

He's not an attorney, but Crawford says he says he knows better than anyone what happened that night.

"I think what you are going to hear repeatedly throughout this trial is that he (the victim) was a man out of control. If he would have listened to my sister, none of this would have happened," Crawford said.

Things were tense. Crawford says he thought his neighbor had abused his children. He asked his sister to help talk to his kids about it, but his sister says when he got to her house, Crawford became paranoid.

"I don't know quite how to explain it… He started to get a feeling that we were all out to get him," his sister Kerri Nichols said.

A witness said Crawford accused his sister's friend of using mind-control over his children. Crawford tried to leave with his family, but his sister's boyfriend, Anthony Brown, wouldn't let him go.

"And chokes me unconscious. My sister will testify that he was also grabbing, reaching into my coat and grabbing the pistol in the shoulder harness," Crawford said.

When the family got outside, Crawford said he thought Brown was coming at him again. In a haze he fired. Crawford's wife and three children watched as he killed Brown.

"Mr. Crawford keeps firing. He fires multiple more shots. At some point even reloads and puts in another extended magazine," described prosecuting attorney Marika Athens.

Witnesses claim Brown was just bringing Crawford something he left inside.

Crawford said he feared for his life.

"I'm going to have to testify that things get blurry at a certain point," Crawford said.

He admits that a lot of what he remembers never happened, but says it's clear he was defending himself and that he will continue to until a verdict.

Crawford will take the stand later in the trial.

Contact Ashton Goodell at agoodell@ktuu.com

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