Convicted Killer Now Faces Additional Charges in Ex-Girlfriend’s Death

A man previously convicted of murder and accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend earlier this month is now facing a series of new charges according to online court records.

Rickey M. Crouch, 49, was named in a superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday morning in Erie County Court.

Crouch had already been indicted on charges of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies, in connection with the July 17th shooting death of 44-year-old Amanda Thompson, his former romantic partner.

Now, he faces seven more charges including first-degree murder based on a prior conviction. The additional charges include two counts of second-degree burglary (felonies), two counts of misdemeanor child endangerment, another count of criminal possession of a weapon, and aggravated criminal contempt for allegedly violating an order of protection Thompson had previously obtained against him.

Authorities allege that Crouch shot Thompson while she was on the porch of her South Ogden Street home shortly after midnight on July 17th, then fled the scene.

Police issued a murder warrant later that day. Crouch was located in a vehicle on the New York State Thruway by New York State Police. Crouch attempted to escape at high speed but crashed between exits 57 and 57A near Hamburg around 4:22pm. He was then taken into custody.

Crouch had two prior arrests in May related to Thompson including accusations of violating an order of protection.

Buffalo Police reported that Crouch was arrested on a burglary charge in May after entering Thompson’s South Ogden Street home with a handgun. A report from the May 19th incident alleges that he kicked in the front door and grabbed Thompson by the throat in front of two of her children. He fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with multiple felony and misdemeanor counts. Police also reported recovering a 9mm handgun from his possession.

On May 20th, a day after the incident, Thompson told officers that Crouch had violated an order of protection she had obtained that day by driving near her mother’s Schiller Street home while she was there.

Despite the seriousness of the May 19th allegations and his arrest, Crouch was released from jail back into the community.

Crouch, then 21, pleaded guilty in January 1997 alongside his cousin to the July 1996 killing of a 16-year-old McKinley High School student. The victim was described as an innocent bystander in a gang-related shooting.

Crouch and his cousin were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 25 years to life. State prison records indicate Crouch was paroled in 2020 and discharged from parole in 2023.

Convicted Killer Now Faces Additional Charges in Ex-Girlfriend’s Death