Please Help Us Keep William R. Crawford in Prison, TOMIS# 00462704, Grainger County No. 4563,  
On April 26, 2008, William Crawford Viciously assaulted and attempted to kill his own family. William was estranged from his then wife, Emmley Crawford, who had filed for an order of protection for herself, her children, and her family about a month prior to the attack along with filing for a divorce. Emmley and William were married sixteen ½ years. Throughout those years, she and her children had been abused. He had repeatedly threatened her, saying, “if you ever leave me, I will kill you.” That threat kept her there until circumstances had gotten so bad, she and her kids had to leave. Emmley and the children were staying with her mom and dad at the time of William’s attack.  
He ambushed them by shooting his way into the house on April 26, 2008. William first shot his then mother-in-law in the head. He then shot his then father-in-law in the head and the back, a bullet striking his heart. William then jumped through a patio door and started shooting at his estranged wife, Emmley. In total, he fired seven shots at her, each missing her as she ran to escape. He then threw the gun down and pulled out his hunting knife, chasing her up the steps, saying, “I told you what I would do to you if you ever left me.” 
 
At the top of the stairs, he was able to catch Emmley and started punching and fighting her. At this point their son, who was 15 years old at the time, pointed an unloaded .410 rifle at William to stop the attack on his mom. William pulled the gun out of his son’s hands with his left hand and stabbed him. The knife entered the boy immediately below his heart, puncturing his lung. William twisted the knife as he pulled it back out of his son’s body. He then turned back to his wife, punching, and hitting her. Eventually they were on the floor fighting while he attempted to stab her in the heart. She brought up her legs and he stabbed her in the knee, breaking her leg. As Emmley continued fighting for her life, their 13-year-old daughter jumped on William’s back and pulled him off her mother. William then assaulted his daughter, causing both him and her to roll down the stairs. When he got up, he went over to his then mother-in-law and kicked her. 
 She played dead, and he turned his rage on his then father-in-law, stabbing him several times and causing massive injuries that required multiple surgeries to his abdomen area and to his heart where he had been shot. Today he still has two bullets left in him. He was on a vent for 11 days and had to have a trachea placed due to an infection he got while in the hospital. Emmley had to have surgery on her knee and her mother had to have several reconstructive surgeries to her scalp several times to repair the damage inflicted by her then son-in-law. Emmley and William’s son had to be monitored in the hospital for four days due to the injuries inflicted by his father. He received stitches on his side. God had his hand on all of William’s victims that night. They all survived. However, they live with the physical, emotional, and mental scars that William Crawford left them to endure. He should have to serve every day to which he was sentenced so his victims can live in peace. He needs to serve every day of the 46 years he was sentenced to. Thank you, everyone, for your time and please sign our petition. His Parole Hearing is Scheduled for January of 2023 so please help us keep him where he needs to be thank you. 
Emmley Cole