Body Found In Burned-Out Central Texas House Tentatively Identified

Investigators Monday tentatively identified the woman whose body was found in a burned-out house several days after the fire that destroyed the home at 263 Rocky Road south of Killeen as Tabitha Lynn Crawford, 23.

[Curious]

First to Tabitha's family my deepest sympathy, I am very sorry for your loss.



Since I have heard this story when she was found and read on to find out the home was abandoned / vacant whichever, I keep thinking to myself how did she end up there. That house is not on a city street in a busy neighborhood it is rural property with acreage all around it. She must have known the house was vacant and how puzzles me since the owner of the home has been deceased since November I read. I just can not see a young girl just wondering around out there and go through a gate and to a home and just let herself in.... With a truck in the driveway it would appear that someone was living there I would think. You can not see the house real well off Chaparral you have to go up Rocky Rd and then the side of the home is what is facing you with the garage where the truck was parked and it is a good distance down the curvy driveway to the side of the home.

[John]

that used to be my our house, till my step dad commited suicide, we all saw him kill himself, so we abbandoned it. Would you wanna live there after something like that?

[DDF]

Hi John, That is very sad about your step father. As for living in a home after something like that I agree it would be hard however yes I would have. I would have never left it to rot. I to lived in that home (front room "pink") my parents "built it". There was nothing for miles in the 70's, the house was finished in 85 when we moved in the same builder that built the house behind the barn ( My dad built out of old ammo boxes:)) built ours at the same time, we sold the original family that built that one the 10 acre track behind us. I loved it there. I can not believe the house is gone it is sad and the way it was lost makes it very difficult for us. So much went in to that home. The land was great I had trails all over the property where I took my daily rides after school each day on horseback. The grave yard would spook my friends but it never bothered me it was just another unique aspect to this place. We keep it cleaned up since there would be people doing family research that would come by and ask to see it. If I remember right it was mostly the family Hail buried in it.(By the way what was put in the foundation of the house was even more unique...)

My original post was just my opinion and my not understanding how a person ended up in "that house" this was not meant to offend anyone it was only making a point as to how someone could end up in the house on that location... I lived there I know that place inside and out the property included and in my opinion no way someone just happen to pick that house out as hard to see where it is located, in the center of the property way back from the nearest main road that being chaparral and wonder up there then from what I have heard it did not appear empty as there was stuff everywhere and a truck in the driveway this to most logical people would would suggest occupied home. Someone knew it was empty and neglected. Of course this is just my opinion here......

I really do hope this Arson case is solved and we all find out who did burn it down, When they figure that out I will just bet they will solve 2 cases at once.

D.F.

[Mike]

My name is Mike. Tabitha was my wife.

I want to know who's truck was in the driveway. John, did you leave a truck at the house? What about the trailer? Did you have any friends that "borrowed" the house or truck?

The cops aren't telling me anything.

[TDF]

I hope this case does not slip away. Someone burned the home down and maybe more. Guess blogging about it and keeping it alive will keep interest in it maybe???? Thank God I have all the news footage saved maybe a You Tube video and posted on Blogger and Twitter will bring out someone that may know something as to what happened on March 9, 2009.
Mike I hope you get answers to your wife's death I really do.
To "John" as to your post about the house being evil on the other news page. Houses are not "evil" however some people that live in them are.

[Interesting]

you abandoned it because of the suicide? I was told you lost the house after the suicide because of foreclosure, and that the insurance company wouldn't pay out for the fire because the payments were so far behind (before the fire). Who told me that?

Your mom.

[Nyam de conch]

Sad.

[TDF]

Interesting wrote:

you abandoned it because of the suicide? I was told you lost the house after the suicide because of foreclosure, and that the insurance company wouldn't pay out for the fire because the payments were so far behind (before the fire). Who told me that?
Your mom.

This whole "family" & story is just getting to twisted and weird. I am all for the truth about finding out "WHO" & what made someone burn that home down and I really hope for Tabitha's family they get answers to what really happened to her... The more I read and find just by searching Google with key words and names the more I am beginning to see an unbelievable and unreal existence on that property since my parents sold it in 1999/2000..

[Insider]

This is to TDF in Crocket - The ranch house was beautiful and the property pretty much well kept up until Shawn, the owner, was remarried to John's mother. During that brief year and one month, the house was trashed and went downhill.

I am not going to go into specifics, but, John, we all (Shawn's family and friends) know in our hearts that Shawn did not kill himself. A proper investigation and autopsy (there was none) would have shown that. Common sense tells us that.

You fail to tell anyone how he died. If you are going to tell the story, tell what really happened. You, your mother, and your brother were there, true. Your brother used to beat Shawn up. This we know as fact. We also know as fact that he was shot while fighting over a shotgun. PROVE to me that a person can commit suicide by shooting themselves in the back portion of the side of their head while struggling for a shotgun. Tell them who was fighting with Shawn.....John

[Insider]

Mike,

If the victim in the house was your wife, I am sorry for your loss. The truck in the driveway was Shawn's truck. It hadn't moved in over 2 years due to a blown engine. I hope they find who did this terrible crime, and that, in the process, they reopen the investigation into Shawn's death to find the truth.

[TDF]

Insider wrote:

This is to TDF in Crocket - The ranch house was beautiful and the property pretty much well kept up until Shawn, the owner, was remarried to John's mother. During that brief year and one month, the house was trashed and went downhill.
I am not going to go into specifics, but, John, we all (Shawn's family and friends) know in our hearts that Shawn did not kill himself. A proper investigation and autopsy (there was none) would have shown that. Common sense tells us that.
You fail to tell anyone how he died. If you are going to tell the story, tell what really happened. You, your mother, and your brother were there, true. Your brother used to beat Shawn up. This we know as fact. We also know as fact that he was shot while fighting over a shotgun. PROVE to me that a person can commit suicide by shooting themselves in the back portion of the side of their head while struggling for a shotgun. Tell them who was fighting with Shawn.....John

To Insider ~ Thank you I loved that place, I have a wonderful collection of pictures I will be loading to CenTexTalk later this week from the first years of the land and home. I am in contact with another member from Shawn's family also and she sent me some pictures taken back in Dec. after Shawn's death and I could not believe what I was looking at it did not even look like the same place.

I agree with you from what we have learned both through news coverage and other sources I do not think at all the death of Shawn was at his own hand.

There are some of the news footage on You Tube I do not think that is all of the coverage though, I will have to go back and look but there are some of the stories of the Arson and the Body up there. http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list... I was glad to see the story made the paper again on the 30Th of April at least it is not fading away, I really do think that there will be a ending to this and "so many" cases will have answers...

Keeping the faith

[good guy]

there were too many fishy things going on in that house including the use of heavy drugs,guns,ect no power on in the house and abandoned why was she in there in the first place. somone knew it was abandoned and had partys there.

[Mike Crawford]

good guy wrote:

there were too many fishy things going on in that house including the use of heavy drugs,guns,ect no power on in the house and abandoned why was she in there in the first place. somone knew it was abandoned and had partys there.

If you have information about the place you need to let someone know. It doesn't even have to be the police, you can tell me anonymously and I'll get the word passed along no questions asked. We cannot let this go unpunished. I need names. At least, just names.

I need something to tell my son when he starts asking what happened to mommy.

Edmund Burke said:
"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing."

Do something.

[BJF]

Hi Mike,
I would love to talk with you about this. I'm a journalist and have always been very puzzled about how Tabitha ended up there. How can we be in touch? thanks..

Mike wrote:

My name is Mike. Tabitha was my wife.
I want to know who's truck was in the driveway. John, did you leave a truck at the house? What about the trailer? Did you have any friends that "borrowed" the house or truck?
The cops aren't telling me anything.

[TDF]

There are several threads on the topic of the house, the widow and other topics dealing with this whole story over on CentexTalk.com and I believe it was said / posted at one time Tabitha had been seen by a family of the deceased owner at the home before the fire and knew someone associated with the place. Also last news I had read they had not confirmed it was her after all the reports that is was. I think this was April 30Th. I know someone that was talking with a reporter in Killeen and they were told no official conformation on the remains would be known till late June or July. However the convenience is that nothing has been published since that last report in April... I am guessing that some just want it to go away and others could care less.

[Timothy]

Mike... Real talk.. Tab was going through alot the days before she died... She had gotten in contact with you, I know this, and she was happy. But she was still, well Tab, and loving you, and the kid, she gave up. I don't know any facts.. but being one who was close to her then.... She couldn't do it. OneLove

[Mike Crawford]

TDF - I'm still waiting on the autopsy report. They haven't even released the remains yet. We're kind of stuck in limbo until they do, as we can't even bury her.

Tim - I hadn't talked to or seen Tab for months at the time of her death. I talked to her a few months before, not sure of the date, about setting up a supervised visit with my son and she never called me back to confirm time and date. That was the last time we spoke.

I know she loved us. That was the worst part of the drugs that eventually got her killed. You could see Tab in there, but you couldn't help her.

[chris]

What was the name of the person who committed suicide at 263 Rocky Road, Killeen, Texas and why???

[TDF]

chris wrote:

What was the name of the person who committed suicide at 263 Rocky Road, Killeen, Texas and why???

Shawn Bracken - From what the family has posted on other forums it was not a suicide ...

[trina]

hey mike its me trina ive been trying to get ahounld of you i want to know how lil man is doing and toeveryone my daughter was a angle and never hurt anyone she was my little girl so i cant figure out how can any body be so crue i miss her so much she was my life and my best friend she was my angle so please if anyone knows anything please let the lawenforcement know.

Mike wrote:

My name is Mike. Tabitha was my wife.
I want to know who's truck was in the driveway. John, did you leave a truck at the house? What about the trailer? Did you have any friends that "borrowed" the house or truck?
The cops aren't telling me anything.