A Walker County judge has cut bond for the 18-year-old accused of fatally shooting a man in a Sumiton parking lot following an argument inside Walmart, lowering his release terms from a $250,000 cash-only requirement to a $60,000 property bond. Timothy Braden Crawford faces a murder charge in the June 3 shooting death of Stephen Morrow, and it remains unclear whether he has actually posted the new bond.
According to court documents cited by WBRC, the reduced bond still carries strict conditions: Crawford is barred from possessing firearms, using social media, or having any contact with Morrow's family. He must also remain at home at all times except to go to work, attend church, visit the doctor, or meet with his attorneys, a restriction first reported by wtva.com.
Authorities have said Crawford shot Morrow in the Sumiton Walmart parking lot after the two argued inside the store. The original $250,000 cash-only bail was set during a June 9 Aniah's Law hearing, the station's report on that proceeding noted. Whether Crawford has made bond under the new terms could not be verified, per the same account.
What Happened Outside the Walmart
Investigators testified that Crawford followed Morrow and his wife after they left the store, according to abc3340.com. About 29 minutes passed between the initial confrontation inside Walmart and the shooting, which happened in the parking lot of Las Reyes 2 Mexican Restaurant; Morrow was later pronounced dead at UAB Hospital, abc3340.com reported.
Crawford's attorney, Bentley, argued at the June hearing that his client fired only after Morrow broke the passenger-side window of his truck and attempted to get inside, abc3340.com reported. Judge Henry Allred found that Crawford posed a danger to the community but stopped short of denying bond outright, instead setting the original cash-only amount, according to the outlet's coverage of the hearing.
Morrow's wife, Kayla, has said her husband's final words to her were, “Kayla, I'm dying and I love you,” a detail she shared on Facebook and that was reported by al.com.
How Aniah's Law Shaped the Case
The original bail decision came under Alabama's Aniah's Law, which allows judges to deny bond entirely for defendants charged with certain violent crimes, including murder, according to wvtm13.com. In hearings held under that law, judges may weigh a defendant's criminal history, the facts of the case, witness statements, and the likelihood of conviction, the station reported, citing one legal source who said, “He's going to look at the criminal history of the defendant.”
The law's application has drawn scrutiny elsewhere in the state. A Cullman County district attorney's office reported securing no-bond orders in three separate cases involving attempted murder, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree burglary, according to wvtm13.com's reporting on recent Alabama bond cases. Alabama Rule of Criminal Procedure 7.2 governs the broader right to release on personal recognizance or bond, per the Alabama Judicial System.
No new court date or case outcome has been reported in connection with the bond reduction. The murder charge against Crawford remains pending in Walker County.
