Charles Crawford admitted to the kidnapping, rape, and murder of a community college coed more than 30 years ago. Crawford, 57, was convicted of capital murder in the 1993 death of 20-year-old Kristy Ray. A jury sentenced him to death in April 1994, but over the last 30 years he has evaded execution due to legal disputes.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal of his death sentence in 2014, prompting Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood to petition the state Supreme Court to set an execution date. The Mississippi Supreme Court refused to set a date because of Crawford’s ongoing appeal of his rape conviction.