Texas Man Arrested After he Killed his Uncle and Stored His Body in a Recycling Bin for a Week

A man in Texas was arrested after authorities alleged he killed his uncle following an argument sparked by an insulting comment. Investigators said the suspect then kept his uncle’s body hidden inside a recycling bin in the backyard of the residence for several days.

Aquiminee La Roy Crawford, a 26-year-old man from Texas, has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with the death of his uncle, according to the San Antonio Police Department. The victim was identified as Derrick Crawford, 53.

Authorities said the killing occurred on or around May 9 at a residence on Sterling Street in the Colosseum Willow Park neighborhood of East San Antonio. Investigators believe the defendant fatally shot Derrick Crawford at the home.

According to police reports obtained by KSAT and KABB Fox San Antonio, officers responded over the weekend to a 911 call allegedly made by Aquiminee La Roy Crawford himself.

When authorities arrived at the residence, the defendant reportedly told officers that his uncle had been “shot up in the back,” according to the arrest affidavit. Responding officers also noted a strong foul odor coming from a recycling bin located in the backyard.

Police said one officer tipped the bin over, causing the lid to open and reveal a human hand. Inside, investigators discovered the body of Derrick Crawford with multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities stated that the body had been wrapped in several black garbage bags and concealed inside the recycling container.

During an interview with the police on the night of May 17, the defendant admitted to getting a handgun from his bedroom. This discovery was made by the defendant two weeks before the shooting, and then he shot his uncle inside the house using the same handgun, according to the authorities.

Crawford said he killed his uncle because he was upset about a comment the victim made to him, according to the police department. While in custody, the defendant told a detective that his uncle called him a “B** nephew,” which caused him to “black out” and open fire, ultimately shooting the man five times in the living room, the police said.

At least two of those shots struck the victim, Derrick Crawfor,d in the chest and head, authorities wrote in the arrest report. The defendant also said he was angry with his uncle for regularly borrowing most of his money, according to law enforcement.

Based on the defendant’s account, authorities recovered the gun said to have been used in the murder, a plastic bag of spent shell casings, and the uncle’s cellphone from Crawford’s bedroom, according to the police. The investigators corroborated the location of the shooting by taking note of blood spatter on the living room walls and ceiling, as well as a couch cushion drenched in blood, according to the law enforcement.

Crawford was initially booked in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center for abuse of a corpse before the upgraded charges were later filed. He remains detained on $250,000 bond.