Mississippi
MS death row inmate Charles Crawford petitioned to halt his execution. See status
Executions in Mississippi: What to know
A look at the process of determining when and how a prisoner on death row in Mississippi should be executed.
As of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to issue a ruling on Mississippi death row inmate Charles Ray Crawford’s petition to halt his scheduled execution.
Crawford’s execution is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman.
Court records filed Oct. 1 show Crawford’s legal team asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block his execution and to take up his case, saying his Sixth Amendment rights were violated when his then-attorneys conceded his guilt to the jury during his criminal trial, despite Crawford’s objections.
The State of Mississippi argued in its response filed Oct. 9 that Crawford’s filings are a last-minute effort to halt his execution, years after the case was decided and far too late to be raised now.
According to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, as of Monday, Oct. 13, all necessary procedures for Crawford’s execution are being followed under the guidance that “justice must be served.”
Crawford, now 59, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1994 for the 1993 kidnapping, rape and murder of Kristy Ray from her Tippah County home in the Chalybeate community. Ray was a 20-year-old student at Northeast Mississippi Community College student.
In 1993, Crawford was out on bond awaiting trial on charges of aggravated assault and rape. Four days before the trial, Crawford abducted Ray from her parents’ home in Chalybeate — about 255 miles north of Jackson. Crawford told authorities he did not remember the incident but later led them to the body buried in leaves in a wooded area.
Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office has sought an execution date for Crawford twice in less than a year, first in November 2024 and again, in June 2025.
Crawford, has spent more than 30 years on death row. Crawford’s execution will be the second this year in Mississippi.
Richard Jordan was put to death on June 25. Jordan was the state’s longest-serving and oldest death row inmate. Jordan was executed around 6:15 p.m. by lethal injection one month after his 79th birthday. He received his last meal at 4 p.m.
Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.
Mississippi
Mississippi lawmakers face pressure to counter looming federal cuts to health care after punting this session
Wicker: Mississippi powered Artemis II
Published 4:00 pm Monday, April 20, 2026
For nine days this month, space travel captivated the world. Families gathered around their screens as four astronauts strapped into the Integrity spacecraft docked at the Kennedy Space Center. As the launch countdown ended, four Mississippi-tested RS-45 engines ignited, and the ground shook. Seven seconds later, the Integrity had liftoff. For six intense minutes, the RS-45 engines rocketed the crew into high Earth orbit, sending them on their historic lunar flyby mission.
Mississippi should take a bow. The four RS-45 engines were tested at our very own Stennis Space Center, where Mississippians have been ensuring the quality of rocket engines since the Apollo program. For eight years, engineers, safety managers, and logistics specialists from the state have tested the engines that powered the Integrity and will power future Artemis launches. Their work paid off, and the launch was a marvel of engineering. NASA leadership made special mention of the rocket engine burn, calling it “flawless.”
One Mississippian in particular helped make the mission a success. Hernando native Matthew Ramsey handled a great deal of responsibility as the mission manager for Artemis II. The Mississippi State University graduate helped set the focus for the mission and equip the astronauts and staff for the job. Matthew also served as the deputy of the Mission Management Team, the group of NASA staff that comes together just days before a launch. The team assumes the risks of the mission ahead, and they make tough calls during flight if challenges arise.
As the Artemis II journey progressed, the world could not stop watching. Our social media feeds were full of photos and videos beamed down from the heavens. They captured humorous situations, such as the astronauts adjusting to life without gravity or testing their plumbing skills.
We also witnessed moments of majesty. On the fifth day, the Integrity began using the Moon’s gravity to slingshot our astronauts back home. That trajectory led the crew around the Moon, farther from Earth than any humans have ever gone. As the explorers looked upon outer space, they captured stunning images. Among the most remarkable is Earthset, in which Commander Reid Wiseman photographed Earth as it appeared to fall below the horizon of the moon.
When their spacecraft returned to Earth’s atmosphere, the crew was traveling nearly 35 times faster than the speed of sound. Ten minutes later, a series of parachutes began opening. Eventually, the spacecraft’s speed fell to 20 miles per hour, and the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.
Mississippi was once again there to assist. The astronauts were greeted by the USS John P. Murtha, a U.S. military vessel built in the Huntington Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula. The ship’s amphibious design was suited to welcome the space travelers home—equipped with a helicopter pad, medical facilities, and the communications system needed to locate and recover the astronauts safely. Crucially, the USS Murtha was built with a well deck, a sea-based garage that stored the Integrity on the journey to shore.
Artemis II was a resounding success, paving the way for planned future flights. When the Artemis program returns humans to the moon, Mississippi will be there every step of the way.
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