A Community Reflects on Loss, Closure, and the Power of Persistence
With a heavy heart, we revisit the tragic murder of Sheryl Crandell, a beloved healthcare professional whose life was taken in 1998 inside her office at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Cheverly, Maryland. After nearly three decades of unanswered questions, the Prince George’s County Police Department’s Cold Case Unit has identified the suspect responsible: Baari Shabazz, who died in 2019 at the age of 69.
On the evening of January 13, 1998, a maintenance worker discovered Ms. Crandell’s body in her Family Health Center office. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. The brutality of the crime shocked the community and left her family devastated. Despite an extensive investigation at the time, no arrests were made, and the case remained unsolved for years.In December 2021, detectives received court authorization to pursue investigative genetic genealogy—a groundbreaking technique that has brought resolution to many cold cases. Partnering with the FBI Baltimore’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, the Cold Case Unit worked tirelessly to trace DNA evidence. In October 2025, they confirmed Shabazz as the perpetrator.
Though Shabazz lived just a mile from the hospital in 1998, investigators have found no known connection between him and Ms. Crandell. The motive remains unclear, but the identification brings long-awaited closure to a case that haunted her loved ones and the community for decades.
Sheryl Crandell was more than a victim—she was a dedicated professional, a friend, and a source of care and compassion to countless patients. Her death left a void that could never be filled, but this breakthrough offers a measure of justice and peace.
To her family, friends, and former colleagues, we extend our deepest condolences and hope that this resolution brings comfort. The persistence of law enforcement and the power of modern science have finally given voice to a woman whose life was stolen far too soon.
If you have any information that may assist investigators, please contact the Prince George’s County Homicide Unit at 301-516-2512.
With solemn respect and enduring remembrance,
The Prince George’s County Community 🕊️
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