Mississippi sets execution date for man who killed a college student in 1993

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi Supreme Court on Friday set an Oct. 15 execution date for the man convicted of kidnapping and killing a college student in 1993.

Charles Ray Crawford, 59, has been on death row for more than 30 years.

Crawford was sentenced to death for fatally stabbing 20-year-old community college student Kristy Ray after abducting her from her parents’ home in northern Mississippi’s Tippah County. Crawford told officers he had blacked out and did not recall killing her.

Crawford has also been convicted of assaulting a woman by hitting her over the head with a hammer and raping a 17-year-old girl. The two victims were friends and were at the same place during the attacks. In those trials, Crawford also said he experienced blackouts and did not recall committing either the rape or hammer attack.

Crawford’s execution comes several months after the execution of Mississippi’s longest-serving death row inmate in June.

In announcing the execution date, the court also denied Crawford’s third attempt for post-conviction relief.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch filed papers last year asking the state Supreme Court to set a date for Crawford’s execution by lethal injection, writing that “he has exhausted all state and federal remedies.”