CRACK FUELLED KILLER - COPS

Police are hunting for a cold-blooded killer they fear will not hesitate to
use extreme violence in another robbery, likely driven to feed a drug habit.

Detective Sergeant Ian Matthews says he is "absolutely" sure the man who
stabbed to death Ron Crawford is one of the crack addicts responsible for
"the vast majority of variety store, retail robberies, muggings and many
house entries in Hamilton."

Crawford is the good Samaritan who tried to stop a sub shop robbery Sunday.

Matthews and other veteran homicide and robbery investigators say Crawford's
killer is one of the most violent, crack cocaine-fuelled bandits police have
seen.

Police say crack addicts rob and steal to support expensive daily habits and
when they don't have money for the drug, they become desperate and turn to
crime.

Matthews, who heads up the BEAR (Break, Enter, Auto theft and Robbery) unit,
says this bandit/killer "is certainly more violent than (those) we've seen
lately. Not once, but two times he was willing to use extreme violence."

Matthews says most robbers who don't get money when they threaten a clerk or
who find other people in a store or gas bar they are holding up will leave
quickly and try their luck elsewhere.

"Obviously this guy really doesn't care. He is obviously willing to use this
level of violence for what would normally -- in that sort of robbery -- be a
small amount of money."

Crawford, 42, was stabbed in the chest when he came to the aid of his friend
who owns the Mr. Sub sandwich shop on Concession Street at East 31st Street.

The developmentally challenged man who liked to help out in his friend's
shop was mortally wounded when he stepped in as his friend struggled with a
knife-wielding bandit behind the counter.

Crawford died a short time later in Hamilton General Hospital.

Just 15 minutes before, a bandit fitting the same description slashed the
hand of a customer who stepped in to help a female clerk at Danny's Variety
store on Upper Gage Avenue near Thorley Drive.

The customer did not require medical treatment.

Crawford's death has shocked the Hamilton community and police say public
outrage has prompted good leads about the killer, the getaway car and the
man seen driving that car.

Investigators have not pinned down a suspect but Chief Ken Robertson has
promised the city's police services board his officers are "doing what needs
to be done in order to bring these suspects to justice" and will deploy
"whatever resources are necessary."

Crawford's slaying topped a violent week of four shootings, several savage
beatings and numerous robberies in the city.

Robertson told the board there has been "a significant run of violence in
this community. This will not be tolerated. A lot of what we see today on
the streets are the symptoms of the root cause." That, says Robertson, is
the influence of organized crime which leads to drug-pushing, trafficking
and robberies to support drug habits.

Investigators are confident someone who has been outraged by Crawford's
slaying will phone and finger the killer.

That call, says Staff Sergeant Steve Hrab of the Hamilton police major
crimes unit, could well come from someone in the criminal community.

"Somebody is going to call because they are outraged that someone killed a
little nobody, a sweet little innocent guy who wouldn't hurt a fly, who just
wanted to help people," said Hrab.

There is a standard of behaviour even among criminals, he said. "(Most)
don't go for that kind of stuff."

Hrab said detectives are looking at robberies in Hamilton and surrounding
areas over the past several weeks looking for similarities, something that
can help identify a killer.

Investigators who seized surveillance tape of a robbery early Monday at the
Avondale variety on King Street East at Parkdale Avenue have eliminated any
connection of those suspects to Crawford's slaying although a dark car was
seen fleeing the scene. That robbery involved a man and a drunken woman
armed with a butcher knife.

They say Crawford was slain with a big, "unique" knife but won't describe
the weapon for evidentiary reasons.

Hrab would not comment when asked if police have the weapon involved in
either the sub shop slaying or variety store robbery Sunday night.

With help from two officers from the BEAR unit, detectives are running down
numerous leads and getting closer to identifying a suspect.

Police are concerned, Hrab said, because the killer attacked two people who
tried to help in two separate robberies.

"This idiot with a knife didn't hesitate to use it."

Police are looking for a white male 18 to 25 years old and 5-foot-10 with a
thin build and weighing about 160 pounds. He has a shaved head and was
wearing dark pants and a dark, kangaroo-type hooded sweatshirt.

He was last seen jumping into an older-model Toyota or Mazda, four-door dark
blue or black car with a loud muffler, driven by a black man. The car, which
was seen between Danny's Variety and the Mr. Sub shop has one tail light out
but both rear brake lights were working.

It was last seen headed down the Sherman Access.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the car and driver is asked to
call Sergeant Don Forgan or Hrab, of the major crime unit at 905-546-3829.
If someone wishes to remain anonymous, they can call Hamilton Crime Stoppers
at 905-522-8477 or 1-800-222-8477.