The victim was a self-taught welder, who graduated from Stillwater High School in 2021, and made a profession of his skill, his obituary said.
An investigation into his disappearance began on Aug. 31, 2023, when the Noble County Sheriff’s Office learned that neither Crawford nor his vehicle, a 2014 white Dodge extended cab truck, had been seen since the late afternoon of Aug. 29, 2023, court records show.
After Noble County Sheriff Matt McGuire requested aid from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on Sept. 4, 2023, four days later investigators located Crawford’s truck at 5304 East VFW Road in Glencoe on Ritter’s 20-acre property in Payne County, OSBI agent Lynda Stevens alleged in an affidavit filed last week.
“Crawford’s truck was found disassembled with portions of the truck to include the truck cab, the truck bed, the frame, wheels, and brush guard located several hundred feet apart from each other toward the north side of the property.
“On Sept. 10, 2023, investigators located the body of Crawford buried in a clandestine grave on this same property, 5304 East VFW Road. Crawford’s death was ruled a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds to the head. Furthermore, Christopher Somers was arrested and charged with the murder of Crawford,” the affidavit said.
During the investigation, it was learned that on the morning of Aug. 29, 2023, Crawford was experiencing mechanical problems with the brake system on his truck and contacted Somers, who at 10:45 am went to Crawford’s employment, JP Welding in Morrison to diagnose the issue, the affidavit alleged. Somers test-drove the truck and determined there was a problem with the truck’s ‘hydro-boost system,’ the affidavit alleged.
On Sept. 11, 2023, investigators interviewed Somers, who admitted he disassembled Crawford’s truck on Ritter’s property at Ritter’s instruction, the affidavit alleged. “Somers knew the truck belonged to Crawford but didn’t ask any questions. Moreover, Somers admitted he participated in the theft of vehicles. Somers would disassemble the vehicles and would sell parts from the vehicles. The money made from the sale of the vehicle parts was shared between Ritter and Somers,” the affidavit alleged.
When records were searched, “Several incident reports were found in which Ritter was either listed as a victim of theft and a suspect of theft,” the affidavit alleged. On March 11, 2022, Ritter reported his 2008 white Ford F-450 truck was stolen from Ritter’s rental property in Stillwater; on June 23, 2022, a man reported his 1998 black Dodge 3500 Ram truck was stolen from his Ripley residence that he rented from Ritter; on June 26, 2023, Kaiser Automotive reported a 2004 white Ford Super Duty truck was stolen from their Stillwater property; on July 5, 2023, Duit Construction reported a 2006 Ford TK Semi Tractor water truck was stolen in Stillwater that GPS information indicated was on the 5304 East VFW Road property of Ritter, who denied any knowledge, the affidavit alleged.
“On Oct. 9, 2023, law enforcement officials with OSBI, PCSO, National Crime Bureau and SPD executed a search warrant at 5304 East VFW Road,” where the rolling chassis of a 2008 white Ford F-450 truck, the frame of a 2004 white Ford 250 truck, and the 1998 black Dodge 3500 Ram truck (missing the motor, front end and truck bed) were recovered, the affidavit alleged.
Investigators interviewed Ritter on Sept. 8, 2023, Sept. 13, 2023, Oct. 9, 2023, and Jan. 29, 2024, during which “Ritter provided bits of information pertaining to the murder of Crawford and the ‘Chop Shop’ Ritter and Somers ran at the VFW property,” the affidavit alleged. Ritter said that he paid Somers $600 a week to take care of his cattle, do maintenance-type work on Ritter’s rental property and do mechanic work in his shop at 5304 East VFW Road, where they were almost daily, the affidavit alleged.
Ritter also said that Somers would steal vehicles, dismantle them at the VFW property, and sell parts from them, with the money from selling stolen vehicle parts shared between Somers and Ritter “or Ritter would use truck parts from the stolen dismantled vehicles for his own equipment/vehicles,” the affidavit alleged.
“Ritter claimed Somers told him the day Crawford came to the VFW property, Crawford needed Somers to fix his truck. Somers took Crawford to a property of Ritter located on North Highway 108, in Glencoe, (identified as 51300 S. 34100 Road, Glencoe,” that Ritter called the Vensil property. Ritter claimed there was a black Dodge truck there that no longer ran. The truck sat on blocks at the east side (back of 80 acres) of the property. Somers took Crawford there under the guise they were going to look at the black Dodge truck to see if the hydro-boost system on the black Dodge truck would fit Crawford’s truck. When Somers and Crawford arrived at the Vensil property, Somers took Crawford to the black Dodge truck and had Crawford look at the hydro-boost system.
“Ritter claimed when Crawford was looking at the hydro-boost system, Somers shot Crawford in the back of the head ‘a lot’ of times. Ritter said he saw bullet holes in the black Dodge truck which made him believe at least some of the bullets either went through Crawford and into the truck or some of the bullets missed Crawford and went into the truck.
“Somers told Ritter when he initially shot Crawford that Crawford ‘stumbled’ or ‘staggered’ leading Ritter to believe Somers followed Crawford as he stumbled and kept shooting Crawford in the back of the head until he fell and died. Ritter claimed he did not help Somers clean up or get rid of evidence related to Crawford’s murder. Ritter claimed Somers asked him for his help. Ritter claimed he told Somers, ‘Get the f… away from me. I don’t want to know anything about anything.’
“Ritter told Somers he did not want anything related to the murder of Crawford on any of his properties. Somers told him he cleaned up all the blood. Ritter believed Somers got rid of the ‘blood-soaked dirt.’ Ritter claimed Somers told him he disposed of everything in the creek that was in between two properties Ritter owned that was on the East 5000 block of Lone Chimney Road, Glencoe,” in Payne County, the affidavit alleged.
“Ritter knew that Somers took Crawford’s personal belongings and initially hid them in the freezer that was located inside the shop at the VFW property,” until Somers told Ritter that he burned Crawford’s items and disposed of remnants in the creek on Lone Chimney Road, the affidavit alleged.
“Ritter claimed when Somers initially told him he shot and killed Crawford, Ritter stated he asked Somers, ‘You didn’t use one of my guns?’ Somers told him he did not. Somers told him he got rid of the gun, as he threw it in a creek,” but not the same one that he dumped the blood-soaked dirt in, the affidavit alleged. “Ritter denied having knowledge Somers put Crawford’s body in the hole he (Ritter) had his neighbor dig.
“Ritter further claimed Somers towed the black Dodge truck (that Crawford was shot near) from 51300 S. 34100 Road to the VFW property, 5304 East VFW Road. Ritter claimed Somers ‘hosed’ down the black Dodge truck and planned to dismantle the truck like he dismantled Crawford’s truck. Investigators learned the hole Crawford’s body was buried in was dug on the evening of Aug. 30, 2023. That Ritter began asking his neighbor to dig a hole for him about four days before Crawford was murdered. Ritter claimed the hole he had his neighbor dig was to be used to dump barrels of burned trash into.
“Ritter paid the neighbor $40 to dig the hole and the neighbor confirmed that. The neighbor reported at the time he was digging the hole at 5304 East VFW Road, that Ritter and Somers were both present the entire time he was there digging. The neighbor denied ever seeing any evidence of a body,” the affidavit alleged.
“Ritter stated Somers told him (Ritter) he shot and killed Crawford for his truck. Ritter claimed Somers planned to keep Crawford’s truck. Somers planned to change out a few things on Crawford’s truck to conceal the real identity of the truck. Somers wanted to drive around Crawford’s truck. Ritter claimed he told Somers to get rid of Crawford’s truck. Ritter believed Somers planned to disassemble the black Dodge truck the same way he disassembled Crawford’s truck.
“On Jan. 29, 2024, Ritter told investigators he should have reported the murder of Crawford when Somers first told him he murdered Crawford,” the affidavit alleged.
