Mississippi man executed after 30 years on death row for college murder

A Mississippi man convicted of raping and killing a school scholar within the Nineteen Nineties was executed Wednesday after spending greater than 30 years on demise row, officers mentioned.

In a information launch shared by the Mississippi Division of Corrections, 59-year-old Crawford was pronounced useless at 6:15 p.m. native time.

“Charles Ray Crawford, 64, was put to demise by deadly injection on the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman at 6:15 p.m. native time,” the assertion mentioned.

Earlier that day, the Mississippi Division of Corrections had additionally confirmed by way of Fb that the execution had been scheduled, pending a keep.

“The U.S. Supreme Courtroom denied Crawford’s request for a keep, as did the governor on Monday [Tate] Reeves denied Crawford’s clemency request. Earlier than the execution, the state Supreme Courtroom had denied requests for a keep,” the night launch confirmed.

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Charles Ray Crawford, a Mississippi demise row inmate who was sentenced to demise in 1994 for the 1993 kidnapping and homicide of a group faculty scholar, 20-year-old Kristy Ray. (Mississippi Division of Corrections by way of AP)

Crawford’s demise marked the top of a protracted authorized battle stemming from the 1993 kidnapping, rape and homicide of 20-year-old Kristy Ray.

She was kidnapped from her mother and father’ dwelling in Tippah County on January 29, 1993.

The identical day Ray disappeared, investigators discovered a ransom notice created from journal clippings within the attic of Crawford’s former father-in-law.

The notice, which named a lady named Jennifer, was turned over to authorities, who started in search of Crawford.

He was arrested the following day, claiming he was coming back from a looking journey. He later informed investigators that he blacked out and didn’t keep in mind killing Ray.

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Charles Ray Crawford was executed by deadly injection on the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. (Google Maps)

Authorities decided that Crawford took Ray from her household’s dwelling to a distant cabin, the place he handcuffed her, raped her and fatally stabbed her within the chest.

On the time of his arrest, he was additionally days away from going to trial for a 1991 assault cost through which he was accused of raping a 17-year-old woman and attacking her pal with a hammer.

Juries later convicted Crawford in each circumstances, with the earlier rape conviction serving as an aggravating issue at his homicide trial. In 1994 he was sentenced to demise.

Over the following three many years, Crawford appealed, however was unsuccessful.

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Charles Crawford spent 30 years on demise row and was put to demise by deadly injection for the 1993 kidnapping, rape and homicide of 20-year-old Kristy Ray. (Jessie L. Bonner/AP Picture)

The Associated press reported that Crawford’s attorneys had petitioned the U.S. Supreme Courtroom, arguing that his Sixth Modification rights have been violated when his attorneys admitted guilt and asserted an madness protection towards his needs.

‘It is virtually like he did not even get the possibility to try this [an] harmless or responsible case, as a result of his lawyer merely overruled his needs from the start,” mentioned Krissy Nobile, the director of the Mississippi Workplace of Capital Publish-Conviction Reduction, who represented Crawford, in accordance with the AP.

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The Mississippi Supreme Courtroom rejected the attraction in September, ruling that it was filed too late.

Reeves wrote on Fb on October 13: “Justice should be served on behalf of the victims. In Mississippi, it will likely be.”

Fox Information Digital has reached out to the Mississippi Division of Corrections for remark.