Deepra Sarkar
CBS’ ’48 Hours: Storm of Suspicion’ and NBC’s ‘Dateline: Before the Storm’ investigated the mysterious disappearance and death of Crystal McDowell in 2017. It turned out her former husband, Steve McDowell, had brutally murdered her before disposing of her remains in a wooded area. This once-couple had two children at the time: son Madden and daughter Maui.
Crystal McDowell’s Kids Were Under 10 When She Passed
At the time of Crystal’s death in 2017, her children Madden and Maui were 8 and 5 years old respectively. On the day of the murder, they were actually asleep in their bedrooms upstairs in the house. Their mother had gone over to her ex’s residence to pick them up since they shared custody, only to never return. Thankfully, the police believe they never saw their mother’s body. Nevertheless, the Department of Family and Protective Services preemptively removed them from their father’s home and looked after them even after he confessed.
According to an officer, there had been a history of Steve possibly putting the children in danger by threatening to harm them. They were thuis temporarily placed with their aunt, who also lived in the area, just for Maui to later testify against her father at his trial through video. She asserted that when she briefly got up to go to the bathroom on the day her mother died, she’d seen her parents arguing.
Maui then detailed how she had heard her father express his resentment about her mother being with another man before pushing her onto the bed. She also added that she had seen him hit her as well. At one point, she said she’d even seen Steve strangle Crystal, but he stopped once he looked up and saw her standing there. Her mother had apparently tried to say, “Help,” but Maui “couldn’t hear her. She looked at me sadly.” Steve then warned her to go to her room and not tell anyone, not even her brother, what she’d seen.
Crystal McDowell’s Kids Now Seem to be Doing Well
After Crystal’s death, the community poured in their support for her two kids. A Facebook page dedicated to her even posted about the various fundings organized for them as well as their future. A local restaurant called Cakes by Retta also started a promotion with the permission of Crystal’s aunt. They announced the sale of an item called Crystal Special, the proceeds of which would be donated to a fund for Madden and Maui’s college tuition. The promotion ran for the entire month of October 2017. The children’s family also held an online fundraiser to help them.
According to the last reports, Madden and Maui are currently living with their mother’s school friend, Mandy Avalos. She’d once said, “I am going to adopt them as soon as I can get the paperwork signed. It’s almost like they have always been mine. Crystal always referred to them as ‘our babies.'” Although it is unclear whether this adoption has officially gone through, it seems like Mandy has genuinely and happily taken up the children’s responsibility, and they are also happy to stay with her in her Las Vegas, Nevada, home. They now consider her mom.
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