PARCHMAN, Mississippi — Mississippi executed Charles Ray Crawford on Wednesday evening, ending a three-decade legal saga tied to one of the state’s most notorious crimes, the Associated Press reported .

Crawford, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. following a lethal injection at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, AP said.

According to the Clarion Ledger , Crawford was convicted in 1994 for the kidnapping, rape and fatal stabbing of Kristy Ray, a 20-year-old community college student from Tippah County. Prosecutors said he abducted Ray from her parents’ home on Jan. 29, 1993, left a ransom note, and took her to a remote cabin where he assaulted and killed her. At the time, Crawford was out on bond awaiting trial for an unrelated rape and assault case.

The execution foll

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