Youth Indicted on Murder Count in Prom Night Shooting of Teen-Ager
The Orange County Grand Jury on Friday returned a murder indictment against Paul Michael Crowder in the prom night shooting of a La Crescenta high school basketball player, prosecutors said.
Crowder, 19, is accused of fatally shooting Berlyn Cosman, 17, a standout basketball player for Crescenta Valley High School. Cosman was shot on June 1 as she slept on a couch in an Anaheim hotel room, where she had gone with several friends after their senior prom.
Crowder, a former high school football player, had been acquainted with Cosman, according to friends, and had played basketball with her in several pick-up games.
Friends of Crowder who were at the scene have said the shooting was accidental. But prosecutors said Crowder had waved a gun wildly and threatened to shoot others that evening.
On June 19, Crowder pleaded innocent to murder charges but was held in lieu of $250,000 bail.
The action will circumvent a possibly lengthy preliminary hearing, and send the case directly to the Orange County Superior Court for arraignment on Monday.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
