On October 9, 2021, 34-year-old Marty Ray Crawford Jr.’s remains were discovered in a vacant residential lot in the vicinity of N. Willow Street and Lincoln Street in Fellsmere. The property owner, who recently purchased the property, came across his body in a small wooded area on the south end of the lot.
The Indian River County Crime Scene Unit found a small, clear plastic baggie consistent with those used to package and sell illicit drugs under Crawford’s remains. Authorities did not release this information to avoid public speculation until the Regional Crime Laboratory in Ft. Pierce could properly analyze it.
On February 10, 2022, the results of that analysis determined that the baggie contained .08g (or 80mg) of Fentanyl. A typical lethal dose of Fentanyl is only 2mg.
The absence of any foul play and interviews with close friends and family members have led investigators to conclude that Crawford’s death was likely the result of acute intoxication of Fentanyl.
Crawford’s family would like to thank the community for their support and convey the closure they now have in this case. They hope that everyone who knew him or came to know him through this investigation will remember him as a good person.
