MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A McDowell County woman has been convicted of second-degree murder following a jury trial held in Circuit Court earlier this month.
The trial was conducted from Dec. 15–17, 2025, before Circuit Judge Rudolph Murensky. After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, the jury found Robin Renee Crawford-Martin guilty of second-degree murder. Her sentencing is scheduled to take place sometime in March.
The conviction stems from a homicide that occurred in May 2024.
According to a criminal complaint filed in McDowell County Magistrate Court, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Box Car Lane in the Big Sandy area after receiving a report of a deceased person. When law enforcement arrived, they found the victim, Patsye Ruth Ciampanella, deceased inside the home.
Investigators alleged that Crawford-Martin stabbed the victim multiple times with a knife. The criminal complaint states that Crawford-Martin later admitted to the killing during an interview with law enforcement.
Authorities charged her with murder, and a warrant was issued following a finding of probable cause.
The case was later bound over to Circuit Court, where it proceeded to a jury trial. With the guilty verdict now entered, the court will determine Crawford-Martin’s sentence during a hearing expected to be held in March.
