Raymond Anderson, a 34-year-old Black man known and loved in his Galveston, Texas, community, was a graduate of Ball High School. Remembered as a good person and a shining light by his family, his life was violently cut short in a calculated and brutal attack. He is survived by his wife, Tamika Felton, his children, Raymond Anderson Jr., Charles Anderson, and Ashley Jackson, and his stepsons, Prince Hall and Jayceon Felton. His death left a profound void in the lives of his loved ones and the community that knew him.
On the evening of February 18, 2019, Raymond was walking across the street in the 2700 block of Avenue K in Galveston when he was suddenly struck by an SUV. The driver, later identified as Roshawn Jermaine Crookshank, exited the vehicle armed with a gun and began chasing Raymond, who fled into a nearby backyard. Witnesses in the area reported hearing several gunshots moments later. When police arrived, they found Raymond unresponsive.
He had been shot six times, with five bullets striking his back and one fatal shot to the back of his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Galveston Police Department launched an immediate investigation. Detectives learned that Crookshank and Raymond had been involved in an ongoing feud for several months. The dispute reportedly began three months prior when Crookshank attempted to steal narcotics from Raymond. In the weeks leading up to the murder, Crookshank had allegedly made threats to witnesses that he intended to kill Raymond. The day after the shooting, a Galveston police officer noticed smoke near the Commodore Hotel on the Galveston Seawall. The source was a gray Chevy Tahoe engulfed in flames. An officer managed to retrieve the license plate before the vehicle was destroyed, and investigators determined that Crookshank had been pulled over by police while driving that same SUV just two months before the murder. Cell phone records also placed Crookshank near the scene at the time of the killing.
With mounting evidence, the Galveston Police Department secured a murder warrant for Roshawn "Lo' Down" Crookshank and a manhunt began. Authorities believed he could be hiding in Texas or Louisiana and offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture. Raymond's family held a press conference, pleading for help. His mother, Amanda Anderson, described the suspect as someone who "needs to be off the streets before he harms somebody else." His sister, Robin Dennis, added, "If you all know anything to come forward because it hurts, it really does. We just ask for justice that's all. That's my brother. He didn't deserve none of this." Speaking directly to the fugitive, the family urged him to surrender, saying, "Roshawn Crookshank. If you see this, we ask that you please turn yourself in. Whats done is done."
The search for Crookshank continued until he was eventually apprehended and brought to trial for the murder of Raymond Anderson. The prosecution presented evidence of the long-standing drug feud, the threats Crookshank had made, and the physical evidence linking him to the crime, including the burned-out SUV and cell phone location data.
In November 2021, a Galveston County jury found Roshawn Jermaine Crookshank guilty of murder. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison for ramming Raymond with his vehicle, chasing him down, and shooting him to death. The verdict brought a measure of legal closure to a case that had devastated a family and shaken a community. Though justice was served in a courtroom, the family of Raymond Anderson continues to mourn the loss of a beloved husband, father, and son whose life was ended with such cruelty.
