STANISLAUS COUNTY, Calif. — Last Friday, William Schendel, of Modesto, was convicted of the second-degree murder of his 40-year-old girlfriend, according to Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager.
An Oakdale mother of three, Aimee Crawford, was found dead in her home on May 1, 2018. She had been hit more than 50 times in her head, face and body with a metal candle holder, as well as strangled.
During an autopsy, the tip of a thumb was found in her hair, which was later identified as belonging to Schendel, according to a press release.
On the same day of the murder, Schendel got into a car accident about 18 miles from Crawford's home. According to law enforcement, he was missing the tip of his left thumb.
Schendel was arrested on May 3, 2018.
The district attorney's office said the 58-year-old admitted during several calls from jail that he got into an argument with Crawford and left after she bit his thumb off.
Schendel pleaded guilty and will be back in court on Dec. 6 when he will be sentenced to 16 years to life in state prison.
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