Wife demanded lie-detector tests before staying in marriage, jury hears
Frances insisted Robert John Crawford take polygraph tests to check his disclosures before deciding whether to stay.
Frances wanted to check the truth about her husband Robert John Crawford's affairs and lies during therapy. Frances insisted he undergo polygraph tests to help decide whether to stay in the marriage.
Crawford took a test that returned unclear results. Crawford claimed he was nervous and later looked up how to beat polygraph machines.
During their final session on July 25, the therapist told Crawford his wife was planning to leave permanently. Five days later, Frances was found dead next to a ride-on mower at their property near Toowoomba.
Robert John Crawford, 49, is accused of strangling her and staging the death as an accident. He has pleaded not guilty to murder.
- October 2023 to late July 2024
- Therapy period
- Five days after final therapy session
- Time to death
- 49, former RAAF pilot
- Crawford's age
Why it mattersThe case shows how a victim's efforts to check partner honesty through polygraph testing came before her death. It shows warning signs of intimate partner violence.
AustraliaThe murder trial is providing documented evidence about the relationship breakdown and warning signs that preceded the alleged killing in Queensland.
Corroborated bysmh.com.au·theage.com.au
