A man was sentenced to life in prison today (Thursday) for the brutal murder of his ex-girlfriend in a Virginia Square apartment building.
Alimamy Fornah was convicted earlier this year for the first-degree murder of Shontae Crawford, following a three-day trial and one day of jury deliberations.
The killing took place around 5 a.m. on June 19, 2023. Fornah was living with Crawford at the time, with whom he had been in a relationship for at least 12 years, according to prosecutors and local TV reports.
Crawford, 37, was pregnant with the child of her new boyfriend, Michael Webb, loved ones told WUSA 9.
Prosecutors say Webb was visiting from out of town and staying in a separate bedroom, when he “heard [Crawford] scream followed by guttural sounds.” He ran into her bedroom and found Fornah nude and Crawford bleeding profusely from a “gaping wound to her neck.”
Webb told WUSA 9 that he punched Fornah in the face and tried to escape from the third-floor apartment with Crawford. She collapsed on the second floor while Webb went to the ground floor to let police in, having called 911 during the escape, according to prosecutors.
Police tried to save Crawford but she was pronounced dead on scene. She was later found to have “at least three distinct cutting wounds to her throat and 22 defensive wounds to both of her hands.”
Fornah was arrested and a kitchen knife covered in Crawford’s blood was recovered by investigators, prosecutors said.
“Shontae suffered a brutal death after multiple, deep cutting wounds to her neck,” says a press release from the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for Arlington and Falls Church. “Her last moments were spent trying to escape and bleeding out alone in a hallway of the apartment building in which she lived.”
In contrast to Crawford’s final moments, the press release describes powerful testimony from Crawford’s sister, who described “the beauty of who Shontae was in life.”
“Even though she suffered years of abuse from Mr. Fornah, she was a beloved sister, mother, and friend,” the release says. “She brightened every room and uplifted those around her in little moments like replicating TikTok dance moves and doing photoshoots in grocery stores. She was always surrounded by her loved ones but lived for her son, who carries a heart as big as hers.”
“Trials and sentencing hearings can never bring back the people we cherish, but they can provide some closure for families and safety for the community,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti. “I know the feelings of loss have been overwhelming for Shontae’s family, particularly as they have had to relive their trauma throughout the court process. I am grateful to them for their enduring trust and support.”
The complete press release is below.
Today, after a lengthy sentencing hearing in which Shontae Crawford’s sister provided powerful victim impact testimony, Alimamy Fornah was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Shontae on June 19, 2023.
Shontae suffered a brutal death after multiple, deep cutting wounds to her neck. Her last moments were spent trying to escape and bleeding out alone in a hallway of the apartment building in which she lived. On June 13, 2024, Mr. Fornah was convicted by a jury for Shontae’s murder nearly a year earlier.
Today’s sentencing focused on the beauty of who Shontae was in life, as a stark contrast to how she died. Even though she suffered years of abuse from Mr. Fornah, she was a beloved sister, mother, and friend. She brightened every room and uplifted those around her in little moments like replicating TikTok dance moves and doing photoshoots in grocery stores. She was always surrounded by her loved ones but lived for her son, who carries a heart as big as hers.
“Trials and sentencing hearings can never bring back the people we cherish, but they can provide some closure for families and safety for the community. I know the feelings of loss have been overwhelming for Shontae’s family, particularly as they have had to relive their trauma thoughout the court process. I am grateful to them for their enduring trust and support, to the ACPD for their thorough investigation and their professionalism throughout this case, and of course our internal team: Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Nassir Aboreden and Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Abhimanyu Mehta, who honored Shontae in his sentencing arguments; Victim Advocates Deena Ware, Lydia Hatcher, and Ada Lazo, who provided advocacy and support to Shontae’s family before, during, and after the trial; and our paralegals and support staff who provided immeasurable assistance. Our hearts go out to all of those who knew and loved Shontae – through them, the memory of her joy, vibrant personality, and deep love will endure.”
