Joshua Crawford

A Donegal Township man charged with shooting his wife to death in late 2016 after an argument pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder.

Joshua Crawford, 31, entered the guilty plea early Monday afternoon before county Judge William Shaffer.

His attorney, public defender Joseph Smith, said during court proceedings that a plea deal with prosecutors calls for Crawford to serve a sentence of 10 to 23 years in prison.

The guilty plea by Crawford, whom police charged Dec. 5, 2016, with criminal homicide and aggravated assault in the death of his wife, Sarah Crawford, comes after an insanity defense had been under consideration in the case.

In court filings last year that set the stage for a possible claim of insanity, Smith argued that Crawford was suicidal and likely suffering a mental health issue on the night of Dec. 4, 2016, when he fatally shot Sarah Crawford once in the chest with a .30-06 hunting rifle.

The Crawfords had been married just three months when the shooting occurred. According to court documents, the couple had been quarreling that day over Joshua Crawford's plans to visit his 5-year-old son from a previous relationship. Investigators say Sarah Crawford didn't like the idea, and an argument that included name-calling ensued. Police say it was about 9 p.m. that night when Joshua Crawford grabbed his .30-06 hunting rifle, loaded it, and put the barrel under his own chin.

Police say Crawford told his wife that he was going to kill himself, and squeezed the trigger — but the gun didn't fire. So, police said, Crawford unloaded and reloaded the weapon before pointing it at himself a second time.

Seated on their home's living room sofa, police said, Sarah Crawford was “yelling at him; calling him names.” Joshua Crawford pointed the gun at her and squeezed the trigger, shooting her once in the chest.

Crawford would call 911 after the shooting, state police Tpr. Nathan Brown testified later that month, at Crawford's preliminary hearing.

“He said he just shot his wife. He didn't mean to,” Brown testified. “He said he shot her and she's dead.”

Sarah Crawford died of the single gunshot to her chest. Joshua Crawford walked out of his house, got into his Jeep and waited for police to arrive.

Smith, in remarks before Shaffer on Monday, said the case was never about determining whether or not Crawford shot his wife.

“This is not a whodunit case,” Smith said. “It essentially is determining (his) level of culpability.”

Prosecutors had charged Crawford with criminal homicide, a catch-all charge that encompasses first-, second- and third-degree murder, as well as voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.

In Pennsylvania third-degree murder — the charge to which Crawford pleaded guilty Monday — involves a killing that shows an indifference to one's own actions potentially causing another person's death. It carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Crawford continues to be held in Butler County Prison without bail.

Shaffer set Crawford's sentencing for July 19.