Overview

• Judge Milton Crawford, whose history of violence and corruption was uncovered by Elsbeth and Wagner, was shot and killed by Delia just before his confirmation hearing.
• Crawford’s dark past included the murder of a local girl named Sherry in his youth and the later killing of his friend Andy to cover up allegations against him.
• Elsbeth and Wagner’s attempts to expose Crawford through DNA evidence were thwarted when he destroyed the evidence before it could be tested.
• Actor Michael Emerson, who portrayed Crawford, described his character’s demise as a hubris-driven, Shakespearean downfall that aligned with the show’s themes of imperfect justice.
• The show now transitions to lighter cases, while Elsbeth reflects on the unresolved consequences of Crawford’s death and the limits of formal justice.