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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Holly Ann Crawford believes she deserves a new trial because a judge mishandled instructions given to the jury that found her guilty of double homicide.</p><p>Crawford&#8217;s attorney on Wednesday filed an appeal that argued Luzerne County Judge Fred A. Pierantoni III erred in issuing multiple directives to the jury and failed to suppress a statement made to police while Crawford was either withdrawing from or under the influence of drugs.</p><p>The appeal also claims there was insufficient evidence from the prosecution to warrant her conviction.</p><p>Crawford, 41, of Sweet Valley, was <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/497406/holly-ann-crawford-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-fatal-shootings-of-ronald-and-jeffrey-evans" target="_blank">sentenced in December </a>to two consecutive life sentences and two additional 40 to 80 year sentences after a jury found her guilty for her role in the 2014 shootings of Ronald &#8220;Barney&#8221; Evans, 73, and his 43-year-old son, Jeffrey Evans.</p><p>Prosecutors said Crawford, who had a previous sexual relationship with Ronald Evans in exchange for cash and gifts, and her boyfriend James Roche murdered the father and son at the elder Evans&#8217; home in Hunlock Creek in an alcohol-induced plot.</p><p>Roche, 33, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/501986/james-roche-gets-two-life-sentences-for-hunlock-creek-killings" target="_blank">received a sentence</a> identical to Crawford&#8217;s on Jan. 8. His attorney&#8217;s <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/505078/attorneys-for-convicted-double-murderer-james-roche-lay-groundwork-for-appeal" target="_blank">laid the groundwork </a>for an appeal on Tuesday.</p><p>In the appeal filed Wednesday, attorney Matthew P. Kelly argued that Roche had boasted almost daily that he wanted to kill Ronald Evans but never followed through on the threats. She believed he wouldn&#8217;t follow through again and went to the Evans&#8217; home solely to get pills, Kelly wrote.</p><p>Additionally, Kelly wrote that the jury was influenced when Pierantoni allowed them to view pictures of the victims when they were alive, lambasting their inclusion as &#8220;prejudicial, inflammatory and irrelevant.&#8221;</p><p>The appeal also argues that Pierantoni failed to instruct the jury on an intoxication defense and whether Crawford was &#8220;under a state of duress when the crime occurred&#8221; as a result of alleged abuse at the hands of Roche.</p><p>Crawford is serving out her life sentence at State Correctional Institution Muncy.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Holly Crawford, seen here at the start of her double homicide trial, is seeking a new trial. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_TTL091515crawford.jpg</photo0><caption0>Holly Crawford, seen here at the start of her double homicide trial, is seeking a new trial. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Convicted murderer Holly Crawford seeks new trial