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Convicted murderer now faces traffic and eluding charges while serving time in prison

By Miles Layton jmlayton@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read
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A Uniontown man serving prison time for third-degree murder is now facing a 4-year-old charge for eluding police, and a traffic citation.

Though Kurtavius Smith is spending 18 to 40 years in prison for killing Marlin “Zeus” Crawford in 2012, a warrant has been issued for his arrest because he eluded police and failed to use his turn signals during a traffic stop July 2011 in Uniontown.

Smith, 28, was convicted of third-degree murder in the death of Crawford, 26. Smith shot Crawford in the head near Pershing Court Manor in the early hours of Mother’s Day as Crawford was apparently en route to his ex-girlfriend Kim Johnson’s house with a card and a gift in May 2012.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Crawford on the street suffering the gunshot wound to his head and clutching a single rose. He would die later at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va.

In the complaint filed this week, authorities alleged that nearly four years ago in July 2011, police were on patrol when they spotted a silver Pontiac Bonneville make a left turn onto Cleveland Avenue without using a proper turning signal, the criminal complaint said.

Though police initiated a traffic stop, the vehicle sped up and failed to halt at several stop signs, police allege.

The complaint said when the vehicle did stop, three men exited the car.

Police allege that as Smith, who was the driver, was fleeing the scene, his red ball cap fell from his head.

Police retrieved that hat and had it analyzed by the state police Bureau of Forensic Services.

About a year ago on June 2014, the Bureau of Forensic Services’ DNA division sent police a report.

Police said DNA obtained from the forehead area of the red ball cap was placed in a database — Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

In April, police obtained a search warrant to get Smith’s DNA while he was in prison. Authorities obtained two swabs taken from inside Smith’s cheek, the complaint said.

Police said a swab was sent to the Forensic Service’s DNA division for comparison to DNA gathered from the red ball cap. Police are awaiting the results, but charged with fleeing or eluding police, and cited him for not properly using his turn signals.

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