WALKER COUNTY – Walker County investigators are working through the weekend to find the killer or killers of a grandmother and her infant grandson.
The victims were discovered Wednesday evening at their rural home five miles west of Huntsville. There are no arrests yet, but police say they are questioning "persons of interest."
Investigators have begun going through a list of potential suspects trying to determine who would have had the motive, the opportunity, and the sheer lack of conscience needed to murder a grandmother and her infant grandson in their home.
Police spent a full 48 hours collecting evidence at the murder scene. Shanta Faye Crawford, 54, was found dead on the kitchen floor. The body of her 2-year-old grandson, Aiyden Lewis, was left in a bathroom.
"It's terrible, unbelievable, someone would do something like that to a human being. A baby just 2 years old. My, what were they thinking," said friend and neighbor Myra Crook.
That's exactly the question investigators are trying to answer now as they work their way through a list of potential suspects.
"A lot of leg work has actually taken place this morning. A lot over the last two days. Some of which I can't mention right now just due to the integrity of the investigation. We still have people we need to talk to, before we start releasing information," said Walker County Sheriff Clint McRae.
Crawford's husband Robert found the bodies Wednesday. He was still too shaken to talk about it Friday. His daughter, the baby's mother, wasn't at home when Crawford and the little boy were killed.
Investigators have interviewed her and the child's father, Wayne Lewis, who lives in Dallas. The couple is separated.
Sources say there had been a dispute over child support recently. Crawford family members say they've had no contact with Lewis since the killings.
Shanta Faye Crawford quit her job two years ago to care for the little boy. He was the couple's only grandson. Her family says she was devoted to him.
Investigators are still collecting evidence and say they've developed a lot of leads to follow.
They are asking that anyone with information about this crime is asked to call one of the following agencies:
- Walker County Sheriff's Office: 936-435-2400
- Montgomery County Crime Stoppers: 1-800-392-7867
- Walker County District Attorney's Office: 936-435-2441