A man from Mississippi, found guilty of the rape and murder of a college student in the 1990s, was executed on Wednesday after more than three decades on death row, as confirmed by officials.
The Mississippi Department of Corrections announced in a news release that Charles Ray Crawford, aged 64, was declared dead at 6:15 p.m. local time.
“Crawford was executed by lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman at 6:15 p.m. local time,” the release stated.
Earlier in the day, the Mississippi Department of Corrections had confirmed on Facebook that the execution was set to proceed, barring any last-minute legal interventions.
The release further indicated, “The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Crawford’s appeal for a stay, and on Monday, Governor Tate Reeves turned down his clemency plea. Prior to the execution, the state supreme court had also dismissed motions for a stay.”
Charles Ray Crawford was sentenced to death in 1994 for the 1993 kidnapping and murder of Kristy Ray, a 20-year-old community college student, according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections. (AP Photo via Mississippi Department of Corrections)
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.
Charles Ray Crawford was executed by lethal injection at Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman. (Google Maps)
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.
At the time of his arrest, he was also days away from standing trial for a 1991 assault in which he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl and attacking her friend with a hammer.
Juries later convicted Crawford in both cases, with the earlier rape conviction serving as an aggravating factor during his capital murder trial. He was sentenced to death in 1994.
Over the next three decades, Crawford filed appeals which were unsuccessful.
Charles Crawford spent 30 years on death row and was put to death by lethal injection and for the 1993 kidnapping, rape and murder of 20-year-old Kristy Ray. (Jessie L. Bonner/AP Photo)
The Associated Press reported 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.
“It’s almost like he didn’t even get the chance to have [an] innocent or guilty matter because his attorney just overrode his wishes from the outset,” said Krissy Nobile, the director of the Mississippi Office of Capital Post-Conviction Relief, who represented Crawford, per the AP.
The Mississippi Supreme Court rejected the appeal in September, ruling it was filed too late.
Reeves wrote on Facebook Oct. 13, “Justice must be served on behalf of victims. In Mississippi, it will be.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Mississippi Department of Corrections for comment.
