Tulsa woman sentenced to 15 years for voluntary manslaughter in Indian Country
- Dennis McCaslin
- Apr 23, 2025
- 1 min read
TULSA, Okla. — A federal judge sentenced Kellie Lee Crawford, 57, to 15 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter in Indian Country, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell also ordered three years of supervised release following Crawford’s imprisonment.
Court records reveal that in September 2021, Crawford, a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation, was drinking with her 70-year-old neighbor, Richard Strade.
Under the influence of methamphetamine, Crawford wrongly believed Strade was attempting to sexually assault her. She admitted to striking him repeatedly in the head with a cookie jar lid and a plastic hanger before strangling him to death.
Crawford will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.
The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted.
