Texas has executed a former police officer who kidnapped and murdered the 12-year-old son of longtime friends in a failed ransom scheme in 1995.
Hilton Crawford (64) was executed by lethal injection for the murder of McKay Everett, who knew his killer as "Uncle Hilty." He was the 17th inmate put to death this year in Texas, the US death-penalty leader.
Testimony at Crawford's trial revealed he kidnapped Everett from his home north of Houston in 1995. The boy's parents were at a business meeting Crawford had told them he would attend but never did.
One of Hilton's former employees at his security business placed a ransom call to the home that night, demanding $500,000. Among the first calls the boy's father placed was to Crawford, because of his police experience.
Police arrested Crawford four days later after a witness reported a car like his leaving the Everett home at the time of the kidnapping. He directed police to a south Louisiana swamp where the body of the boy, who had been beaten and shot, was dumped. Crawford denied shooting the boy.