Facebook/police Anthony Crawford is accused in the murder of jogger Wendy Martinez in Washington D.C.
Anthony Crawford, a man with a criminal history who used the street name “Fatz Gleezy,” is accused in the murder of Washington D.C. jogger Wendy Martinez, who was stabbed in what authorities say was likely a random attack on a city street.
Crawford, 23, has been charged with first-degree murder while armed in the death of Martinez, authorities announced on September 20, 2018. Georgetown graduate Martinez, who had majored in Latin American Studies, was jogging when authorities say Crawford attacked her without any provocation in Logan Circle on 11th Street NW.
Police said Crawford is not homeless, has been uncooperative, and Martinez was not robbed. Authorities have labeled the murder both unexplained and brutal. Crawford is accused of saying he knew cops were accusing him of stabbing a “little girl.” (Martinez only stood 5 foot 1 inches tall.)
Logan Circle stabbing death: Metro Police names 23 y/o Anthony Crawford of NW DC as their suspect. They believe he acted alone in the killing of #WendyMartinez. @MayorBowser says they are confident this is the person responsible for her death.
Here’s what you need to know:
Wendy Martinez Was Stabbed Seven Times, Prosecutors Say & Authorities Are Considering Race as a Motive
WUSA9 reported that authorities are considering a racial motivation for the attack, writing, “Investigators are looking into the possibility that Martinez’s murder might have been “racially motivated” because Crawford “does not like white people.”
Prosecutors accuse Crawford of stabbing Wendy Martinez seven times and say he was using cocaine. On September 20, 2018, a job denied him bail after a prosecutor said, “This is a vicious killing of a woman in a well-traveled neighborhood.” He was described by an acquaintance to ABC7 as an alleged regular user of K2, a synthetic drug.
The attack severed the victim’s jugular vein.
A surveillance video was unveiled in the case the day before Anthony Crawford’s name was released by authorities. The brief video showed a man walking down a street, swinging his arm. WTOP-TV reports that police later found a bloody mustard colored shirt at the scene similar to the one the man was wearing in the video. They also recovered a bloody knife. Martinez was stabbed mostly to the head and neck, the television station reported. A witness told police they’d seen Crawford wearing the shirt earlier in the day and added that he was “probably high,” according to WTOP, adding that a relative also recognized the shirt because it originally belonged to the relative, who indicated Crawford had a bandaged hand after the stabbing.
According to Fox 5, Anthony Crawford has a criminal history and did not know Wendy Martinez before the attack. Horrifically, a bleeding Martinez ran to a nearby business after being stabbed but was unable to be saved.
Help us identify the person responsible for the murder of Wendy Martinez. She was stabbed to death last night in the 1400 block of 11th St, NW.
Click the link for additional details and video. t.co/Ybce195sqs
Have info? Call 202-727-9099/Text 50411
A restaurant surveillance video shows Martinez collapsing in the restaurant as customers rush to help her and stanch the bleeding from her neck.
Friends of murdered DC runner Wendy Martinez embrace at scene of the crime after @DCPoliceDept announces the arrest of accused killer, 23-year-old Anthony Crawford. A completely random crime. More later @fox5dc
A police statement at the time the murder occurred reads:
Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch are investigating a fatal stabbing that occurred on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, in the 1400 block of 11th Street, Northwest.
At approximately 7:56 pm, members of the Third District responded to the listed location for the report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers located an adult female suffering from multiple stab wounds. DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services responded to the scene and transported the victim to a local hospital. After all life-saving efforts failed, the victim was pronounced dead.
The decedent has been identified as 35 year-old Wendy Karina Martinez, of Northwest, DC.
Police had offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said in a press conference, “It is more likely a random act than anything else but we’re going to look at all possibilities.”
He repeated at a September 20 news conference: “We don’t have a motive” and said that Martinez and Anthony Crawford did not know each other. The chief added, “It’s unsettling for anyone who lives in this city to see this happen. It’s an isolated incident. I’m sure that doesn’t bring any level of comfort to the Martinez family.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser was also at the news conference and said, “This is an outraged community. This is a woman who should have been going to work today.”
The Family of Martinez Said She Was a Devout Christian Who Was Engaged to Be Married
BREAKING: Police say the man arrested for the stabbing murder of Wendy Martinez is 23 year old Anthony Crawford. PD say they have no reason to believe they knew each other. Appears to have been an unprovoked attack. Martinez is from the Lake Worth area originally. @WPLGLocal10
Wendy Martinez’s family previously released a statement to Fox 5. “We are deeply saddened by this senseless tragedy. Wendy Karina Martinez was the light of our lives. Not only was she an avid runner, but she was a devout Christian, a wonderful friend, and a driven professional,” it read.
“Everything you hope that a daughter and a friend could be. She was also excited to be planning her upcoming wedding to her fiancé, Daniel Hincapie. They were engaged just last week. We ask that you respect our privacy as we grieve the passing of her beautiful soul and inform her friends and family of this terrible news. We also want to encourage the community to please contact the police with any information that may lead to finding justice for Wendy. The hotline number to call is 202-727-9099. Simply put, Wendy was fearfully and wonderfully made! Now we know she has found the one whom her soul loved. (Song of Solomon 3:4).”
We write to share the very sad news of the tragic death of Wendy Karina Martinez (CLAS’2012), who was attacked last night in Logan Circle. Our thoughts and prayers are with Wendy and her family and friends at this terribly difficult time t.co/hHDU4AdbYB
According to her Facebook page, Martinez was employed by FiscalNote, a technology management company.
Other Female Joggers Have Been Murdered in Cases Throughout the Country
Karina Vetrano, the Queens jogger who was murdered. (Facebook)
There have been several other female joggers murdered in attacks by strangers in recent years. In the most recent, Iowa college student Mollie Tibbetts was slain while jogging. Her body was found in a cornfield after she was reported missing. Christhian Rivera is the suspect in that case. Tibbetts was also stabbed.
In New York, the death of jogger Karina Vetrano received heavy news coverage. Chanel Lewis was accused in the random attack of Vetrano, who was strangled.
Vanessa Marcotte. (Instagram)
Vanessa Marcotte was murdered while jogging in Massachusetts. Angelo Colon-Ortiz was accused in that attack. In all of those cases, in addition to the murder of Wendy Martinez, it’s believed the women were attacked randomly.
READ NEXT: More About the Life of Wendy Martinez
This post is being updated as more information is learned about Anthony Crawford.