Fox News – A Mississippi man convicted of raping and murdering a college student in the nineties was executed Wednesday after spending more than 30 years on death row, according to officials.
In a news release shared by the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Crawford, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. local time.
“Charles Ray Crawford, 64, was put to death by lethal injection at 6:15 p.m. local time at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman,” the release said.
Earlier that day, the Mississippi Department of Corrections had also confirmed via Facebook that the execution had been scheduled, pending a stay.
- Crawford’s attorneys petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing his Sixth Amendment rights were violated when his defense lawyers conceded guilt and pursued an insanity defense against his wishes.
- “I’m all broken up about that man’s rights.” – Inspector Harry Callahan
“The U.S. Supreme Court denied Crawford’s request for a stay, and on Monday, Governor [Tate] Reeves denied Crawford’s Clemency request. Before the execution, the state supreme court had denied motions for a stay,” the evening release confirmed.
Crawford’s death marked the end of a long legal battle stemming from the 1993 kidnapping, rape and murder of 20-year-old Kristy Ray.
She was abducted from her parents’ home in Tippah County on Jan. 29, 1993.
On the same day Ray disappeared, investigators found a ransom note made from magazine cutouts in the attic of Crawford’s former father-in-law.
The note, which mentioned a woman named Jennifer, was turned over to authorities, who began searching for Crawford.
He was arrested the next day, claiming he had been returning from a hunting trip. He later told investigators he had blacked out and could not remember killing Ray.
Authorities determined that Crawford took Ray from her family’s home to a remote cabin, where he handcuffed, raped, and fatally stabbed her in the chest …
