Expand / Collapse search
☰

Man who tried to kill ex-girlfriend & killed her dog headed to prison

By
Updated  May 29, 2025 4:50pm EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • Timothy Crawford was sentenced to 40 years in prison on Thursday.
    • He entered an open plea last month after trying to kill his ex-girlfriend in December 2023. He also shot and killed the victim's dog.
    • Crawford had asked for a 20-year sentence and faced up to life in prison. 

TAMPA, Fla. - The man who traveled from Atlanta to Florida, then tried to kill his ex-girlfriend and shot her dog after the attack, learned his fate in a Tampa courtroom on Thursday.

Case against Timothy Crawford

The backstory:

According to federal prosecutors, Timothy Crawford left Atlanta in the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2023, and began driving toward the home of his ex-girlfriend (referred to as "M.B.") in Odessa.

Court documents show that Crawford broke into M.B.'s house around 8 p.m. that evening armed with a pistol and stun-gun and waited for her to return home.

PREVIOUS: Georgia man traveled to Florida to kill ex-girlfriend and her dog: Officials

When his ex-girlfriend came home, Crawford punched, kicked and electrically stunned her numerous times, while telling her that he was going to kill her and her children.

M.B. defended herself with a dumbbell and ultimately escaped the home. Before leaving, authorities say, Crawford shot and killed M.B.’s dog, an 8-pound Maltese.

Deputies arrested Crawford a neighbor called 911, according to investigators.

Pictured: Timothy Crawford during a previous court hearing.

Pictured: Timothy Crawford during a previous court hearing.

M.B. was severely injured during the attack. Officials say she had extensive bruising to her body, neck and face, stun-gun burns, a fractured left orbital bone, nose, ring finger/hand and a laceration to her head requiring stiches.

Crawford admitted to breaking into the victim’s house, using a taser on her, punching her in the face and killing her dog.

In April, Crawford entered an open plea in court and asked for a 20-year sentence, according to court documents. He faced up to life in prison.

What's next:

On Thursday, he received a 40-year prison sentence. 

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

The Source: This story was written using information from court documents and previous FOX 13 News reports.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:

TampaCrime and Public Safety