Mississippi Death Row Inmate's Last Words Alive Before Execution for Raping and Killing College Student: 'Thank You God for Giving Me the Peace That I Have'
Charles Crawford was put to death for killing a college student 30 years ago.
Oct. 16 2025, Published 1:56 p.m. ET
A Mississippi man convicted of kidnapping, raping, and killing a coed in 1993 got religious as he addressed his victim's family before being put to death, RadarOnline.com can report.
Charles Crawford had spent more than 30 years on death row before receiving a lethal injection on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
He was given a lethal injection on Wednesday.
Crawford was convicted of killing 20-year-old community college student Kirsty Ray in northern Mississippi’s Tippah County in the early 90s.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves detailed the horrific crime in a Facebook post, revealing: "Ms. Ray’s hands were cuffed behind her back, a sock had been stuffed in her mouth, and her jeans were pulled down below her hips. DNA evidence from the crime scene matched DNA samples taken from Mr. Crawford."
Before his execution, the 59-year-old addressed his family, telling them: "To my family, I love you. I'm at peace. I've got God's peace...I’ll be in heaven."
He then turned his attention to Ray's family, saying: "To the victim’s family, true closure and true peace, you cannot reach that without God."
His final words were: "Thank you, God, for giving me the peace that I have."
Crawford's Last Meal and Moments
Crawford requested a cheeseburger and fries for his last meal.
Before his execution, officials with the Mississippi Department of Corrections said Crawford visited with his family and a preacher on Wednesday afternoon.
He also requested a simple last meal, asking for a double cheeseburger, French fries, peach cobbler, and chocolate ice cream.
According to witnesses, Crawford could be seen taking deep breaths as the execution got underway just after 6:00 p.m. Five minutes later, he was declared unconscious.
At 6:08 p.m., his breathing "became slower and shallower and his mouth quivered."
A minute later, he took one last deep breath, and then his chest appeared to stop moving.
Ransom Notes
The Supreme Court failed to stop or delay the execution.
Crawford was convicted of abducting Ray from her parents' home in northern Mississippi’s Tippah County on Jan. 29, 1993.
According to court records, when Ray’s mother came home, her daughter’s car was gone, and a handwritten ransom note had been left on the table.
That same day, investigators found a different ransom note made from magazine cutouts in the attic of Crawford's former father-in-law.
The note mentioned a woman named Jennifer and was turned over to authorities.
Before long, the hunt was on for Crawford. He was arrested the next day, claiming to be returning from a hunting trip. He later told authorities he blacked out and did not recall killing Ray.
'Justice Must Be Served'
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Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves confirmed the execution on social media.
At the time of his arrest, Crawford was days away from going to trial on a separate assault charge stemming from an attack in 1991. In that case, he was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl and hitting her friend with a hammer.
Once again, he insisted he had experienced blackouts and did not remember committing either the rape or the hammer attack. However, jurors were not swayed, and Crawford was later convicted in both cases. He was sentenced to death in 1994.
Crawford spent the better part of the next three decades trying to overturn his death sentence.
Just days before the execution, Reeves posted: "Mississippi is praying for Ms. Ray and her family. Justice must be served on behalf of victims. In Mississippi, it will be."
