Hinds Today

A Crystal Springs man pled guilty to brandishing a firearm while carjacking a woman in front of her home in Jackson.

According to court documents, Christopher Lawrence Murray, 31, brandished a pistol during a carjacking in the Jackson area. In May of 2021, Murray and another man approached a woman sitting in her car in front of her home. Working together, both men pointed pistols at the woman and demanded she hand over her cellular phone and the keys to her car. The woman complied with the demands at gunpoint, and the men left in her vehicle.

Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2023. He pled guilty today to brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

“We are working to reduce carjackings in Jackson by prosecuting offenders in federal court and bringing together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest individuals and groups involved in carjacking,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee.

In an effort to focus resources on carjacking in Jackson, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Jackson Police Department (JPD) and the Capitol Police Department formed a carjacking task force in April of 2024. In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, this task force represents a strategic enforcement priority for the department by focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting significant drivers of violent crime.

U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of ATF made the announcement.

The JPD and ATF are investigating this case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting this case.

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