A Mississippi man, Charles Crawford, was executed on Wednesday for the 1993 kidnapping, rape, and murder of 20-year-old Christy Ray. Crawford, 59, received a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, after spending over 30 years on death row. His conviction details include a ransom note left by Ray’s abductor, leading to Crawford’s arrest shortly after the crime.
Crawford had a history of violence, including a prior rape conviction, which contributed to his death sentence. Despite numerous attempts to overturn his sentence, his appeals were unsuccessful, culminating in the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting a last-minute emergency appeal.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor, along with justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, dissented, arguing that Crawford’s defense team ignored his wishes during the trial. They pointed out that this disregard affected his right to a proper defense.
Crawford was seen as a supportive figure among fellow inmates and spent his final hours with family and a preacher. His execution is part of a broader trend, with 38 executions reported in the U.S. this year, raising ongoing debates about the death penalty.
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