We have some incredibly unfortunate news to report from Mississippi, where a law professor was shot and killed alongside her mother and sister in a triple homicide.
Crystal Lynn Welch, 42, was an associate clinical law professor at the Mississippi College School of Law, where she worked as supervising attorney for the Family and Children’s Law Center. A lifelong social justice advocate, in 2020, she led a team to successfully replace the state’s Confederate-themed flag with a new one. Welch also served as the board president for the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi and as vice president of the board of directors for the Mississippi Free Press.
The Mississippi Clarion Ledger has additional details on her tragic death:
On Sunday, which was Mother’s Day, the Ridgeland Police Department found three people dead inside a Ridgeland home.
[Ridgeland Police Chief Brian] Myers said officers received a call from family members around 3:30 p.m. Sunday regarding the welfare of the occupants at a home in the 7100 block of Old Canton Road.
Upon arrival, [Myers] said law enforcement found 42-year-old Crystal Lynn Welch, 56-year-old Vicky Renee Welch and 76-year-old Ida Thomas Welch deceased in the living room. The three victims all had been “shot to death in the home.”
The suspect, Ivory James Welch III, was Ida’s son and Crystal and Vicky’s brother. According to Mississippi police, he made it to Arizona before he was confronted by state troopers. When they tried to arrest Welch, he reportedly began shooting and was fatally wounded in the gunfight.
In a statement, Mississippi Law said the following of Welch’s untimely passing: “It is with profound sadness that the Mississippi College and School of Law family mourns the passing of Crystal Welch, Associate Clinical Professor at the Mississippi College School of Law. The thoughts and prayers of our leadership, faculty, staff, and students are with Crystal’s family in this difficult time.”
Donna Ladd, editor and CEO of the Mississippi Free Press, said Welch’s death “is a severe loss to our state.” She continued, adding, “She was a force of nature and totally dedicated to helping Mississippi reach its full potential as an equitable and kind state for all our residents.”
We here at Above the Law would like to extend our condolences to Crystal Lynn Welch’s family, friends, and colleagues during this extremely difficult time.
If you’re a victim of familial or domestic violence, reach out if you need help, before it’s too late. If you feel that you are in immediate danger, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Assistance is available in English and Spanish.
Crystal Welch, MFP Board Vice President, Dies in Ridgeland Triple Homicide; Suspect Killed [Mississippi Free Press]
Suspect connected to triple homicide in Ridgeland dies after gunfight with police [Mississippi Clarion Ledger]
Clinical law prof who worked for social justice killed in triple murder [ABA Journal]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.
