Charles Ray Crawford (born February 10, 1966)[1] is an American convicted rapist and murderer on death row in Mississippi. On January 29, 1993, four days before he was to stand trial for a rape and assault case, Crawford kidnapped a 20-year-old community college student named Kristy Ray from her home in Tippah County, Mississippi, before raping and murdering the victim. Crawford was later arrested and found guilty of the rape-murder of Ray, and sentenced to death in 1994, as well as 46 years' imprisonment for the unrelated rape case. Crawford is scheduled to be executed on October 15, 2025.
Charles Ray Crawford was born on February 10, 1966, in Mississippi. Crawford was married twice in his life, and had a son from his second marriage.[2]
On April 13, 1991, Crawford encountered his first wife's 17-year-old sister, who was driving together with her friend in the latter's grandfather's car. Crawford drove the girls to their house, but ended up bringing them both to an abandoned house. Crawford forced his former sister-in-law into the house at gunpoint, and even gagged her and tied her hands up with tape. Crawford proceeded to rape the 17-year-old, and he also used a hammer to assault the other girl. As a result of this crime, Crawford was charged with rape, assault and kidnapping, and therefore set to stand trial for these charges in February 1993.[2]
Murder of Kristy Ray
On January 29, 1993, four days before he was scheduled to stand trial for rape and assault, Charles Crawford, then 26 years old and out on bail, committed the kidnapping, rape and murder of a student in Tippah County, Mississippi.
On that afternoon, 20-year-old Kristy Denise Ray (November 26, 1972 – January 29, 1993), a German-born community college student, visited the Sunburst Bank in Mississippi, where her mother worked. Ray was also a part-time employee at the same bank while pursuing her studies at Northeast Mississippi Community College. Around 5:15 p.m., Ray and her mother left work together, planning to reunite later that evening at their home in Chalybeate.[3]
However, after reaching home, Ray was kidnapped from her home by Crawford, who encountered her while burglarizing her house. Crawford would later forcibly bring Ray to an abandoned barn, where he raped her and later stabbed her to death. Simultaneously, Ray's family were alerted of her disappearance, after Ray's mother could not find her and also found their family home ransacked. She also discovered a ransom note left behind by Crawford in her house. The family subsequently filed a police report.[3][4]
The same day when Ray was abducted and killed, Crawford's family discovered a ransom note in their attic that was similar to the one found by Ray's mother. Concerned that Crawford, who was scheduled to go on trial in the next four days for rape and assault, might be planning a kidnapping, his mother, wife, and grandfather notified Crawford's lawyer William Fortier of the finding, and this was also reported to the police. After some investigations, the police were able to link Crawford to the disappearance of Ray, and the following day, Crawford was arrested near the house of his former father-in-law. At the time of his arrest, he was armed with a double-barrel shotgun and a switchblade.[4][3]
Trial
After his arrest, Charles Crawford was charged with the rape and murder of Kristy Ray. Crawford initially denied killing Ray, stating that he had blackouts and only remembered parts of the crime, but not the murder. Later, he later admitted "he must of killed her" and led the police to where he left Ray's corpse behind.[4]
After standing trial for Ray's murder in 1994, Crawford used an insanity defense. A prison psychiatrist who had treated him testified that he experienced depression and episodes of memory loss. The psychiatrist also discussed Crawford’s history of psychiatric hospitalization, his prior use of medication, and a 1989 diagnosis of bipolar disorder.[5]
In contrast, a clinical psychologist called as a rebuttal witness testified that there was no indication Crawford had bipolar disorder. The psychologist also noted that Crawford appeared to have acted with premeditation and understood the difference between right and wrong. A second rebuttal witness, a forensic psychiatrist, stated that Crawford had been incorrectly diagnosed with psychogenic amnesia.[5]
On April 22, 1994, Crawford was found guilty of capital murder, sexual battery, burglary and rape on all counts by a Lafayette County jury.[3]
On April 23, 1994, Crawford was sentenced to death upon the jury's unanimous recommendation for capital punishment. He was also given a life sentence without parole for rape, plus 15 years and 30 years for burglary and sexual battery respectively.[3]
Additionally, Crawford was found guilty of rape in the other case he committed prior to Ray's killing. He was sentenced to 46 years in prison for the offence.[2]
Appeals
Death sentence appeal
On March 12, 1998, the Mississippi Supreme Court dismissed Charles Crawford's direct appeal against the death sentence.[3]
Subsequently, in January 2014, Crawford appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.[7] On February 24, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Crawford's final appeal against his death sentence.[8]
Rape conviction appeal
In February 2014, the same month when the Mississippi Attorney-General applied for an execution date for Crawford, he sought leave to make further appeals, pertaining to his conviction of raping a teenage girl in another incident.[9]
On April 16, 2014, the Mississippi Supreme Court first heard the appeal of Crawford against his rape conviction.[10][11][12] Crawford's lawyers argued that he was represented by ineffective trial counsel at the time of the rape trial.[13][14]The prosecution were also granted additional time to make submissions in response to Crawford's motion.[15]
On October 13, 2014, the Mississippi state prosecutors requested the Mississippi Supreme Court to deny the appeal of Crawford against his rape conviction, pointing out that he only filed it 20 years after his trial and they argued that Crawford received a fair trial for his rape charge.[16][17] Ultimately, on December 8, 2014, the Mississippi Supreme Court denied the prosecution's request to strike out Crawford's appeal in his rape case and allowed it to proceed.[18] The Mississippi Supreme Court first heard arguments in March 2015.[19]
On August 27, 2015, Crawford's appeal against his rape conviction was dismissed by the Mississippi Supreme Court.[2]
In May 2023, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Crawford's appeal against his rape conviction.[20] Another appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was also turned down in November 2024.[21]
On February 26, 2025, Crawford's final appeal against his rape conviction was brought forward to the U.S. Supreme Court.[22]
On June 2, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Crawford's final appeal against his rape conviction.[23]
Scheduled execution
Originally, in February 2014, the Mississippi Attorney-General petitioned to the Mississippi Supreme Court to schedule the execution dates of Charles Crawford and another prisoner.[24] However, on March 31, 2014, the Mississippi Supreme Court refused to authorise a death warrant for Crawford, after they ruled that Crawford had not exhausted all of his appeals against the rape conviction and the process was still ongoing. As a result, Crawford was temporarily spared from execution until the conclusion of his appellate process.[25][26]
On November 26, 2024, Mississippi Attorney-General Lynn Fitch filed a motion to the Mississippi Supreme Court, seeking an execution date for Crawford, who had exhausted all his avenues of appeal against the death sentence. However, Crawford's lawyers opposed to the scheduling of Crawford's execution, stating that he had not exhausted his appeals against his other conviction of rape, which he committed in another case, and a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court was planned for this particular case.[27][28]
On June 3, 2025, a day after the U.S. Supreme Court denied Crawford's final appeal against his rape conviction, Fitch filed a renewed petition for Crawford to receive a new execution date.[29][30]
On September 12, 2025, the Mississippi Supreme Court signed a death warrant for Crawford, scheduling his death sentence to be carried out on October 15, 2025.[31][32]
On October 2, 2025, Crawford's lawyers filed a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to stay his execution.[33][34][35] In response, the state prosecution argued that Crawford's guilt was not in doubt and that his execution should proceed as scheduled.[36]
On October 7, 2025, death penalty opponents banded together to protest against Crawford's scheduled execution.[37][38] In the end, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves denied clemency for Crawford on October 13, 2025.[39]
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