A Queens man has been charged with murder after allegedly killing his mother with a machete in their Far Rockaway home. Amel Crawford, 26, is accused of fatally stabbing his 61-year-old mother, Joanne Crawford, with a machete, inflicting 11 stab wounds, including one that went through her liver and another that split her tongue and perforated her trachea.
Prosecutors revealed the gruesome details during Crawford's arraignment on charges of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was ordered held without bail.
Authorities discovered Joanne Crawford inside the home around 10:40 a.m. Tuesday. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police arrested Amel Crawford later that day after he ran onto the beach and into the ocean, an apparent attempt to evade capture.
According to one police source, Crawford's flight into the surf "looked like he was trying to kill himself."
Joanne Crawford, a retired city corrections officer, reportedly had a tumultuous relationship with her son. Police had responded to domestic disturbance complaints at the home earlier this year, though none had escalated to violence. A relative told The Post that Amel Crawford felt his mother, due to her demanding career, had never given him the desired quality time.
Neighbors expressed shock and disbelief at the incident, with some recalling Amel Crawford growing up in the community. "We are all pretty shaken up," one neighbor said. "This is extremely shocking."
Another neighbor described the family as "nice people" who had lived in the area for decades. A relative remembered Joanne Crawford as a loving and giving person who was always there for her loved ones, adding, "I'll never understand this tragedy or what has happened."