User:Drew30319/Jennifer Ann Crecente

Jennifer Ann Crecente born September 9, 1987, was an 18-year-old high school honor student who was shot and killed in Southwest Austin, Texas by an ex-boyfriend, Justin Crabbe on Wednesday, February 15, 2006. They were classmates at Austin's Bowie High School until Crabbe dropped out of school in the tenth grade.[1]

Crecente's murder was the first of 2006 for Austin[2].

Events

Crecente's body was found at night on Thursday, February 16, 2006 in a wooded area[3]. Crabbe was arrested on Saturday, February 18, 2006 on a charge of first-degree murder[4].

Crabbe told police that he and a man named Richard were playing with a gun. Jennifer was about 20 to 30 feet away. The gun fired, and Jennifer dropped. Crabbe did not check on Crecente to see how badly she was injured before fleeing the scene[5].

Videotape shows Crabbe with another man purchasing ammunition at a sporting goods store[6]. Crabbe was on parole from a prior felony conviction[7] and could not legally purchase ammunition.

After Effects

Crabbe pled "not guilty" on Friday, September 22, 2006 [8]. He is in jail and not eligible for bail. He's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.[9]

"Jennifer Ann's Group," a non-profit organization, was created in Crecente's memory. The stated purpose of the organization is to "keep Jennifer Crecente's memory alive through education and good works."

Well-known video game blogger Brian Crecente was Crecente's uncle and wrote a blog entitled "Sometimes I forget why I'm sad" about Crecente's murder.

The Texas Psychological Foundation created the The Jennifer Ann Crecente Memorial Grant in Crecente's memory. The annual grant pays $5000 to a graduate student studying violence against women. Crecente's grandmother, Dr. Elizabeth Richeson is a psychologist and Crecente was considering pursuing a career in Psychology.

A memorial video was created in memory of Crecente and is hosted on YouTube.