Murder Charge Reduced in Crooked Tree Case

Forty‑five‑year‑old Maurice Usher Jr. has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Geoffrey Crawford, an elderly man from Crooked Tree Village. Usher was originally charged with murder and had pleaded not guilty when his trial began last week before Justice Derick Sylvester, but on Wednesday he changed his plea on the advice of his court‑appointed attorney, Oscar Selgado. The judge has ordered several reports, including a Social Inquiry, Psychiatric Evaluation, Victim Impact Statement, and character references, before sentencing. Those reports are due by February nineteenth, 2026, with sentencing set for March third. Usher remains in custody. In October 2021, Crawford was last seen being taken from his Crooked Tree home in his red Nissan Pathfinder before disappearing. His body was later found in a shallow grave. Usher was the only person ever charged in the matter.