Kila Man Convicted in Martin City Murder Sentenced to 100 Years

The 42-year-old Kila man convicted of fatally shooting 28-year-old Whisper Sellars and injuring her husband Doug Crosswhite in the parking lot of a Martin City bar in 2022 has been sentenced to 100 years in the Montana State Prison with no parole eligibility restrictions.

A Flathead County jury in July found Del Orrin Crawford guilty of a felony count of deliberate homicide; a second felony count of attempted deliberate homicide; a third felony count of assault with a weapon; and a fourth felony of evidence tampering. He was acquitted of a separate assault with a weapon count.

In August of 2022, Crawford – who argued self-defense throughout the trial –  fatally shot Sellars and injured Crosswhite, while threatening other individuals in their group during an altercation over a golf cart in the parking lot of the Southfork Saloon in Martin City. He later hid the firearm in the wheel well of his vehicle and refused to tell law enforcement where it was located.

Flathead County District Court Judge Dan Wilson imposed the sentence at a Nov. 26 hearing, delivering a net sentence of 100 years in the Montana State Prison with no time suspended and no parole eligibility restrictions. He is also required to pay restitution of $40,635 for losses suffered from Crosswhite’s injuries and reimbursement to the state’s Crime Victim Compensation Program for separate claims totaling $3,500 and $8,016.

Judge Wilson described the incident as an act of rage and casted doubt on Crawford’s self-defense argument, citing the victims’ lack of weapons and the forensic examiner’s report of the bullet trajectory.

“Whisper Sellars was not in any kind of attacking posture when she was shot and killed and the bullet ripped through her heart, which virtually guaranteed that she was not only going to die, but she was going to die right there and then,” Wilson said. “She was in a submissive posture.”

Wilson also cited Crawford’s behavior following his release from the Flathead County Detention Center in October of 2022 after posting a $750,000 bond until his trial date in July of 2024, a timeframe during which he violated his conditions of release.

“This court is not impressed by Mr. Crawford’s conduct during pre-trial release,” Wilson said. “He was convicted of three counts of unlawful trapping. He was charged with not only a traffic offense but evading authorities.”

Despite dozens of letters supporting Crawford’s character that were sent to the court, Wilson could not connect the defendant’s reputation as a generous and nonviolent community member to his actions on Aug. 27, 2022.

“Mr. Crawford does not have or present the same person or personality to the outside world as he does to his inner circle … and perhaps more disheartening to the court was so much of the presentation in those letters of support that cast blame on his attorneys for the jury’s verdict,” Wilson said.

Crawford’s defense attorneys Peter Lacny, Kris McLean and Tyson McLean requested a 20-year sentence in the Montana State Prison, citing the 33 letters of support and his lack of violent criminal history.

Montana Department of Justice Assistant Attorney Thorin Geist, who served as a special deputy attorney, requested a 180-year sentence with no time suspended.

During the hearing, Doug Crosswhite’s father read a victim impact statement describing the toll that his daughter-in-law’s death has taken on their family, including her five children.

“Del Crawford handed Whisper a death sentence,” Robert Crosswhite said. “He also intended to hand that sentence to Doug and in doing so he also handed a life sentence to their kids and our family of a life without Whisper.”

In addition to the letters of support, Crawford’s mother and former girlfriend provided testimony to the court, describing him as a nonviolent, loving father who doesn’t deserve a prison sentence.

“I know that he felt remorse because I sat with him in those months and weeks and days following this incident and I’ve watched him cry at the loss – he took a life that night, and he recognizes that and I know he feels that remorse every single day,” Amanda Hawley said.

Prior to sentencing, Crawford provided an emotional testimony, apologizing to the court and expressing remorse over Sellars’ death and Crosswhite’s injuries.

“Words cannot describe how devastated I am over the loss of Whisper’s life and the injuries Doug sustained,” Crawford said. “I can only hope that one day some level of peace come to you and your families to lift your pain and suffering. I am truly sorry and remorseful for your losses.”

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