A Virginia mother of a 15-year-old child with autism who had just announced she was pregnant with her second child is now dead after her boyfriend stabbed her to death, killing her and her unborn child.
Shontae Crawford, 37, had just ended a 12-year relationship with Alimamy Fornah, 35, when she began seeing a new partner. Although they had broken up, the victim and suspect were still living together.
Her new boyfriend, Michael Webb, 39, witnessed the incident as it unfolded. He said that Crawford and Fornah locked themselves in a room and when they got into a heated exchange in Arlington. That’s when Webb forced himself in.
“I heard a noise and what sounded like a crash,” Webb told WUSA-9 TV. “He had her pinned on the floor between the bed and the wall. There was blood on the wall and her throat was severely damaged by, I believe, a kitchen knife or something to that extent.”
He continued: “I hit him in the face, and he fell. I grabbed her and pulled her up and she proceeded to go out of the apartment. We started to make our way down and away from him. We encountered him again and I hit him about five times.”
Fornah is charged with murder. He was detained after being treated for minor injuries.
Crawford’s family said she had tried for years to break free from the relationship and that she had been a domestic violence victim for many years.
“I knew it would happen one day because of the severity of the abuse,” her sister-in-law Emily Crawford said. “You pray it doesn’t happen. Just a month ago he put her in the hospital from physical abuse. It was constant.”
“He was so controlling that he didn’t want her around us,” she added.
The victim’s cousin, Erica Savoy, said that she “had a beautiful soul” and “was always there to help.” She had just announced on social media that she was pregnant days before the brutal stabbing took place.
Crawford’s family has set up a GoFundMe account to assist with funeral expenses.
“It is with extreme sadness that we announce the passing of Shontae Crawford,” the page reads. “Shontae was a beautiful bright spark in this world with a smile that lit up any room she walked in. She touched the lives of so many and will be deeply missed. We are raising money to cover the costs of the funeral and memorial services for Shontae’s family as this passing was completely unexpected and tragic. Any excess money will go directly to her son Donovon Dimauri. Thank you in advance for your love, prayers, and support.”
Please consider making a donation to Crawford’s family here.
If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
