Man arrested in connection with shooting deaths of estranged wife, man in Riverside
A man involved in a standoff with police Tuesday morning as they investigated the shooting deaths of two people in Riverside has been arrested.
Police booked 62-year-old Charles Crawford of Wichita into the Sedgwick County Jail at around 7:19 p.m. on Tuesday, jail records show.
He is being charged on suspicion of two counts of first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of his estranged wife, 50-year-old Vanessa Crawford, and 58-year-old Donald Eckert, both of Wichita, police spokesperson Kristopher Gupilan said in a news release.
Gupilan added that Charles and Vanessa Crawford are married but currently separated.
At around 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police responded to a call for EMS in the 1100 block of North Woodrow in Riverside. A woman dropping off a child at an in-home daycare noticed the door was locked, which is usually unlocked, and saw Vanessa Crawford and Eckert through the window of the home slumped over, The Eagle previously reported.
Police learned that Vanessa Crawford lived in the home, and that she and Eckert died from gunshot wounds, Gupilan said.
Just after 10 a.m. as the investigation continued, police in the area encountered Crawford in the 1200 block of North Woodrow armed with a gun pointed at his head, police said.
SWAT and crisis negotiators arrived at around 11:15 a.m. and a standoff ensued. Crawford later surrendered and was taken into custody, the release said.
He was taken to the hospital for medical issues related to the heat after surrendering. The motive behind the shooting is currently being investigated.
This story was originally published July 26, 2023 at 9:15 AM.