What We Know About Samuel Crawford; Payne County Homicide

The state medical examiner confirmed on Thursday a body discovered on a rural property in Payne County was a 21-year-old missing Stillwater man. Investigators found Samuel Crawford’s body buried in a hole near the suspect’s home.

What’s the story?

Samuel Crawford, a 21-year-old man went missing in late August. 

Crawford's long-time friends were devastated when he went missing, and knew it was not like him to disappear.

“The first thing I thought was why him?,” said Presley Ann, victim’s school friend. “He’s like the sweetest person I know from Stillwater schools.”

On September 4, investigators reached out to OSBI.

Then on September 8, a helicopter was sent to fly over a large area in Payne County. 

State agents said that’s when they found an alleged chop shop, somewhere near VFW Rd. and Prairie Rd. in Glencoe.

The case turned upside-down when investigators returned to the rural area in Glencoe in search of additional evidence, days after Samuel Crawford was reported missing. 

Parts of Crawford's white pickup truck were found scattered all around the property.

“When they noticed parts of his vehicle, they executed a search warrant and when they were searching that area they found a deceased male,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Hunter McKee said.

Near a tractor on the property, investigators said the body believed to be that of Crawford was found buried in a hole.

Investigators found a partially filled dirt hole.

Inside, a decomposed body with two gunshot wounds to the head.

The medical examiner did an autopsy and positively identified the victim as Crawford.

According to those investigators, Crawford had been shot multiple times.

Investigators then learned that a man named Christopher Somers lived on the property in a camper van. 

Court documents filed in Payne County revealed Crawford was likely targeted for his truck, as Somers operated the same chop shop seen on the helicopter search, on the same property that Crawford was found. 

Somers was arrested on a murder complaint, and for operating the chop shop on the property where dozens of vehicles were found.

“We are looking into not only the motive, but the relationship between Somers and the victim,” said Mckee.

According to a new court filing Crawford was working at a welding shop in Morrison, when he began having problems with his truck.

A search warrant said Crawford asked his boss to put him in touch with Somers.

Investigators interviewed a man who says Christoper Somers had a plan to kill a guy and take his vehicle - but it "didn't go as planned." - the man told investigators he believed Somers killed Sam Crawford for his truck.

But Crawford was not 21-year-old Christopher Somers’s first target. 

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents uncovered the sinister murder plot last week. 

One of Somers’s associates told investigators after Somers was unable to contact the original target. 

The suspect’s attention then turned to Crawford when he learned the victim needed his truck fixed. 

Somers was heard saying, "I can get him to hang out with me and I'll take care of him." 

The witness also told investigators Somers was paid to kill people.

Somers, ranch-hand seen working in videos posted to his TikTok, moonlights as a mechanic and agreed to repair Crawford’s "very distinctive" vehicle.

The filing says Crawford’s employer questioned Somers after growing concerned when Crawford failed to return to work or answer his phone calls.

According to investigators “Somers is the last person to see Crawford before his disappearance,” but when questioned has “changed his story” and given “conflicting information.”

Somers has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in the Payne County jail without bond. OSBI officials expect more charges to be filed soon.