Tiffiney Crawford's mysterious case: Was the shooting death ruled a suicide or murder?

Tiffiney Crawford was found shot to death inside her van in May 2017 after authorities responded to a desperate 911 call made by her 37-year-old husband, Jason Crawford. The latter claimed that she shot herself twice after an argument. The incident occurred outside their Cullman, Alabama, home in the late hours of the night. Tiffiney's death was later ruled to be murder.

A murder investigation led investigators to believe that Jason may have been involved after he revealed the details of their argument that night - he found out about his wife's affair. They believed he had the perfect opportunity and motive, and that he staged the crime scene to make it appear like a suicide.

This week, CBS 48 Hours will revisit the shooting death of Tiffiney Crawford in an episode titled The Mysterious Death of Tiffiney Crawford. The synopsis states:

"A young mother found dead in her car. Could she have shot herself twice?"

The all-new episode airs on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at 10:00 pm ET.

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Tiffiney Crawford was found with two gunshot wounds to the head and a pink revolver in her hand

On May 2, 2017, 32-year-old Tiffiney Crawford was found dead and slumped over in the driver's seat of her van outside the Cullman house she shared with her husband Jason Crawford, who was the first to discover her. She was shot twice in the head sometime before 11 in the late night hours.

After finding her dead body, Jason made a 911 call in which, according to CBS, he told first responders that,

"My wife is shot. I need someone out here, please."

But investigators later revealed that Jason refused to answer a question he was repeatedly asked during the call. According to lead investigator Joseph Parrish, the officer asked him "'who's she been shot by?'", to which he would reply, claiming that he couldn't bring himself to tell them that Tiffiney had shot herself.

At the crime scene, authorities discovered the victim, who was holding a pink revolver in her left hand. Jason claimed she kept that gun on the driver's side door of her van for protection purposes. At the time, he told authorities that they were arguing about her alleged affair, after which he refused to let her in the house. He was entering the house when he "heard a shot, a scream and then another shot."

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Evidence suggested that Tiffiney Crawford's death was a murder, contradictory to her husband's suicide claims

An investigation revealed that Tiffiney Crawford was right-handed but was shot in the left side of her head and was holding the gun in her left hand when authorities found her. Further tests led them to believe that the murder weapon may have been wiped clean before being placed in Tiffiney's hand and the van was scrubbed clean the very next morning of the shooting incident by two family members.

Based on Tiffiney's delayed autopsy report, which revealed that there was an absence of gunpowder particles and abrasions around the gunshot wound, the medical examiner determined that the shots were likely fired from 10 inches apart, which seemed nearly impossible given that she was discovered in the van with the door closed. Her case was then ruled to be murder.

In November 2022, Jason Crawford was found guilty in the shooting death of the 32-year-old Alabama mother and was sentenced to 99 years in prison with the possibility of parole earlier this year.

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CBS 48 Hours will shed further light on the case this Saturday at 10 pm ET.