Murder Charge in Wife's Suffocation

A 61-year-old St. Petersburg woman was found dead by police Sunday, and her husband has been charged with first-degree murder.

Judith Davis' partially decomposed body was found in the couple's bed, police said, with her husband of 20 years lying next to her. Police said that 55-year-old Albert Crandall had slashed his wrists but was conscious.

According to Crandall's Facebook Page, he worked as a manager at the Daiquiri Deck, on Madeira Beach.

A relative had alerted police after finding an emailed suicide note from Crandall, police said.

Police allege that Crandall suffocated his wife with a pillow and then attempted suicide. Crandall said that his wife was suffering from chronic pain from a medical condition.

The couple was married for 20 years and lived in an apartment at 661 77th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg.

Upon entering the unlocked apartment, officers and paramedics found the couple. According to police, Crandall was found to have wounds to both wrists that appeared self-inflicted, but was conscious. He was transported to Bayfront Medical Center where he was treated and later released.

A suicide note was also found inside the apartment.

During the course of his medical treatment, police said Crandall made statements indicating that he had suffocated his wife with a pillow due to a chronic and painful medical condition she had been experiencing.

The Tampa Bay Times adds: 

"He had written a 'murder-suicide note,' police said. They did not explain how he tried to kill himself, but said he was treated and cleared at Bayfront Medical Center, then charged with first-degree murder."

Crandall, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office records, had two previous run-ins with the law.

In 2010, Crandall was charged with a DUI following his refusal to take a BAC test. In 1998, Crandall was arrested by U.S. Marshals on charges involving drug manufacturing, according to court records.

On March 23, Crandall's birthday, he posted the following message to Facebook. 

"Thanks Everyone for the birthday wishes,I never anticipated 55 but its still SEX(not as frequent) DRUGS(ibuprofen) & ROCK n Roll (at least some things never change).O yeah proably my first SOBER birthday of my adult life."