Man gets 30 years in prison for stabbing DC runner to death

WASHINGTON – A man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing a runner in Washington, D.C.

News outlets report Anthony Marquell Crawford was sentenced last week in the death of 35-year-old Wendy Martinez, who was attacked while running in her gentrifying neighbourhood.

Crawford pleaded guilty this summer to first-degree murder in Martinez’s September 2018 slaying. She died just months before she was set to be married; Her mother said Martinez was buried in the wedding dress she planned to wear.

Authorities said Crawford stole a knife from a store and stabbed Martinez at least seven times as she waited for a traffic light at an intersection several blocks away. Court records show Crawford has a history of mental illness. Crawford’s defence says Crawford tested positive for cocaine use.