Idaho man sentenced to 15 years in prison after convicted of murder near Boise State
A Boise man was sentenced to 15 years fixed and 25 years indeterminate in prison after he pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of a 24-year-old man just a few feet from Boise State University’s campus in 2021.
Matthew Crawford, 23, shot and killed Guy Lopez II in March 2021 after he and his roommate — Devoune Mosley — attempted to rob Lopez of drugs, police previously said. Crawford could be paroled as early as 2036, as he received credit for the last 13 months he spent in jail.
Ada County District Judge Nancy Baskin recommended Crawford receive substance abuse treatment and attend a class called Thinking for Change. She also encouraged him to get whatever kind of college education was available to him and receive mental health counseling treatment.
Crawford pleaded guilty to the charge on Feb. 1, according to court documents obtained by the Idaho Statesman. Under the terms of the agreement, the charge was reduced from first-degree murder, and additional felonies against Crawford — conspiracy to commit a robbery and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence — were dismissed by Baskin.
Crawford will also have to pay a restitution payment of $16,838 and a civil penalty of $5,000.
Lopez family gives emotional testimony
Over 20 members of Lopez’s family and friends filled the prosecution’s side of the Ada County courtroom — including Lopez’s mother, father and fiance.
“He was just starting out his life, and I was so very proud of him,” said Elisa Reyes, Lopez’s mother, choking back tears in Monday’s sentencing. “This was not supposed to happen. I did not expect him to die before me.”
Reyes continued that she has had trouble getting out of bed and has not gone back to work since the death of her son.
“(Lopez) brought joy into other people’s lives, and I hope that they can get that joy back in their life — from the loss of their son,” Baskin said speaking of Lopez’s family.
Audrey Wilcox, Lopez’s fiancee, spoke as a witness during the sentencing Monday. She described her relationship with her partner as “beautiful, intense, deep and full of love.” She was not allowed to read a victim statement as the law does not classify her as a direct family member.
“I miss his laugh, his hugs and just how excited about telling me about all the connections he would make day to day,” Wilcox said through her tears.
Guy Lopez, Lopez’s father, in a written statement that was read aloud by the prosecution encouraged the man who killed his son to “put your life back together.”
“I’m not going to say that I hate you, but I do hate what you’ve done,” Guy Lopez said. “What you have done has changed my life as I knew it. From this day forward, yours is about to change also. I wouldn’t wish this kind of pain and emptiness on anyone — not even you.”
Baskin said Lopez’s father showed great compassion with his statement and continued that the loss of a child is likely the most difficult thing for a parent to endure.
“What I do on this bench today cannot return Mr. Lopez to his family,” Baskin said. “But what I can do is sentence you appropriately for your conduct and hope that you will be a better man and make better choices.”
Boise-area attorney Mark Manweiler, who represented Crawford, said his client has had no disciplinary issues since he has been at the Ada County Jail. He said Crawford plans to follow the rules while incarcerated, to take college courses and “make something of himself.”
“He never intended to murder Lopez. He did intend to rob him,” Manweiler said.
Baskin cautioned Crawford not to speak to Mosley while in prison, calling their relationship “toxic,” and to surround himself with the right people.
Mosley, 24, was also charged with three felonies: first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and conspiracy to commit a robbery. He is expected to appear in court Wednesday for a change of plea hearing.
Mosley was previously convicted on felony aggravated battery in March 2018, according to online court records. He was in prison for nine months before being released on probation until 2033.
“I do not believe you are an evil person, Mr. Crawford. I believe you made a horrible mistake,” Baskin said.
Boise State shelters in place after shots
On March 15, 2021, officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of Chrisway Drive — just feet from Boise State’s campus — after hearing reports of shots fired, according to a news release from the Boise Police Department. The homicide set off a shelter-in-place order from the university.
Police found an adult man — who was later identified as Lopez — lying in the street with gunshot wounds. Lopez was rushed to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise.
Lopez died at the hospital. The coroner’s office found Lopez died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his manner of death was labeled a homicide.
Mosley and Crawford met Lopez on a sidewalk with the intent of robbing him of narcotics, specifically Xanax, police said. During the attempted robbery, police said, Crawford “fired several rounds” and struck Lopez with bullets multiple times. Crawford told police that Lopez also had a gun and fired a single shot over the car at Crawford, Baskin said during the hearing.
Crawford was under the influence of alcohol, Xanax and cocaine during the shooting, Baskin said, and was also a regular user of fentanyl.
Baskin said that even though Lopez was attempting to sell Xanax and had a firearm to protect himself during the drug deal it “doesn’t take away from the person that was killed.”
At least three guns were recovered during the investigation.
Crawford had a Beretta 9 mm handgun, clips and ammunition seized by police, according to the plea agreement. A shotgun was found in a vehicle, and Mosley had allegedly told investigators he had a shotgun after his arrest, the Statesman previously reported. Mosley was not allowed to have a gun due to his prior felony conviction. Police also recovered a gun near where Lopez fell.
This story was originally published April 18, 2022 at 11:02 AM.
