Michael L. CrumptonThe bruises on Victoria Godwin's head were as large as a grapefruit, according to a report released Monday.
Godwin, 42, was beaten and strangled to death after she entered her home on June 7 to check on a visiting friend. Her friend's husband, Michael Crumpton, who has a documented history of violence, punched Godwin on the head and strangled her, according to a Chattanooga police arrest report.
Crumpton, 49, remains in Hamilton County Jail on a $200,000 bond on a charge of criminal homicide.
The medical examiner's report states Godwin died from manual strangulation and blunt force trauma.
About six bruises are shown on a diagram of Godwin's head in the Hamilton County medical examiner's report. Her lips are cut, and small abrasions mark her face from a fight she would not survive, the report shows.
An old bullet was found lodged just below the skin near her left shoulder, the report said, but it's unclear when she was shot or if she ever saw a doctor.
A neighbor in the Emma Wheeler public housing complex, where Godwin lived, reported hearing a woman inside Godwin's apartment, screaming at Crumpton to stop. There was the sound of glass breaking, the neighbor said.
The beating continued until Godwin's body fell to the ground, where she was found lying motionless and unresponsive on the floor, police said. Numerous witnesses said they saw Crumpton run out of Godwin's apartment.
Crumpton, an ex-con, served more than 17 years in federal prison on weapons-related charges, according to federal court records.
In April, he was arrested on a charge of aggravated domestic assault after he left his wife's face swollen and knocked her front teeth loose, according to a Chattanooga police report. The case was dismissed when she failed to show up for court.
Crumpton is scheduled to appear in General Sessions Court today.
Contact staff writer Beth Burger at bburger@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406.