A Mississippi prison detective has been arrested and charged with attempting to tamper with evidence related to his wife's alleged affair with a convicted murderer. Michael Crawford, 46, and his wife, Jennifer Crawford, 49, were both taken into custody on July 16. They have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
According to an indictment, Jennifer Crawford, who was a caseworker at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, is accused of engaging in sexual activity with Harold Hayes, a 53-year-old convicted murderer, last summer. Michael Crawford, formerly the chief investigator for the prison's Corrections Investigation Division, is accused of using his position to urge the inmate to destroy a phone containing evidence of the alleged affair. The inmate did not destroy the device.
Michael Crawford faces a felony charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence, while Jennifer Crawford faces a felony charge of unlawful sexual activity with an inmate. They are scheduled to appear in court later this month. Hayes was transferred to another facility in January and has no scheduled parole date.
This is not the first time Michael Crawford has been involved in allegations of marital infidelity with an inmate. In August 2004, his first wife, Alaina, pleaded guilty to having illegal sexual intercourse with an inmate at the same prison while she was employed by the Department of Corrections. That affair occurred in June 2003.
Michael Crawford had campaigned for Greene County sheriff in 2023, pledging to uphold the county's "small town morals and ethics." He lost the election by a significant margin. Following his recent indictment, Crawford has posted cryptic messages on social media referencing "lies" and the "court of public opinion."
Crawford previously served as a detective with the Petal Police Department for 14 years. The Mississippi Department of Corrections has stated it does not comment on pending criminal matters.