MICHAEL LEE CRANE IMPLICATED IN 2ND MURDER: CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY

Posted by criminal attorney Nick Alcock

Michael Lee Crane is going to need more than a good criminal defense attorney. Prosecutors have linked Mr. Crane to the Paradise Valley arson murders of Lawrence and Glenna Shapiro. Unfortunately for Mr. Crane, he is also now linked to a Phoenix murder that bears similarities.

Bruce Gaudet was a cigar salesperson who was found dead in his condo. Like the Shapiro’s residence, Mr. Gaudet’s condo was burned to the ground. The breaking news is that Mr. Crane is not the only murder suspect in the Gaudet case. Apparently another suspect is likely to be served an indictment soon.

Now I’m not going to get on my horse here. But, as a criminal defense attorney, I see a lot of different cases. Many people are charged with criminal offenses. Some are caught breaking the law for the first time. Some are good people who make simple and unique mistakes. But this case seems to be different.

Mr. Crane, if you believe the indictment, planned these crimes out. According to the State, he didn’t make a simple mistake and then realize the error of his ways. Here’s where I am lost. This plan was never going to work, first of all. Second, what could he possibly get for his efforts? What could he possibly get for the items that he stole. In terms of risk and reward, this gentleman may be the stupidest (yes, I said it) person on the planet.

His scheme, according to the prosecutors, involved many accomplices. Apparently he could not keep his mouth shut and confessed his actions to others. In the case of Mr. Gaudet’s murder, what was stolen was a Dodge sedan. This may be breaking news to Mr. Crane, but you can steal a car without killing someone. In fact, criminal defense attorneys know that hundreds of vehicles are stolen in Arizona every day. It seems that only one person is idiotic enough to commit premeditated capital murder to steal a Dodge.

By criminal defense attorney Nick Alcock