Execution date set for man who abducted, killed retired TCU professor

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Published  December 15, 2025 2:02pm CST
FOX 4

Edward Lee Busby Jr. (Source: Texas Department of Corrections Death Row Information)

The Brief

    • An execution date has been set for Edward Lee Busby Jr., 53, who was convicted of the 2004 murder of retired TCU professor Laura Lee Crane.
    • Busby is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, May 14, 2026, for the capital murder conviction.
    • Prosecutors said Busby robbed the victim of over $775, then abducted her and drove her to Oklahoma, where she died of asphyxiation.

TARRANT COUNTY, Texas - An execution date has been set for a man convicted of robbing and suffocating a retired TCU professor, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's office. Edward Lee Busby Jr., 53, is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Retired TCU professor murdered

The backstory:

Busby was convicted in 2005 of killing Laura Lee Crane, 77, after abducting her from a Fort Worth grocery store parking lot in January 2004. Investigators believe she was a random target and that robbery was the motive.

During the trial in 2005, prosecutors said Busby and his companion used Crane's credit cards and a blank check to rob her of more than $775 before driving Crane's car to Oklahoma with her in the trunk. 

Crane's body was found Feb. 3 at the bottom of an embankment off Interstate 35 near Davis, Okla. Crane's mouth was covered with duct tape, and she died from asphyxiation, according to an autopsy report.

Authorities were led to the body after Busby confessed, Fort Worth police have said.

Busby's companion, Kathleen "Kitty" Latimer, was sentenced to life in prison in Feb. 2006. She is now 61 years old and is currently serving her sentence in a Texas prison. She could be eligible for parole in 2034. 

Laura Lee Crane

Laura Lee Crane was director emeritus of Starpoint School, TCU. According to her obituary, she graduated from Paschal High School, received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Sweet Briar College, and a master of arts from Texas Christian University. 

"Her entire career was devoted to children with learning disabilities and special needs. She authored a nationally recognized reading program for LD students. She served on the founding faculty of Starpoint School, and for over 20 years as its director. She was formerly a member of the Assembly Fort Worth Woman's Club and the Fort Worth Junior League."

The Source: Information in this article is from the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office and previous coverage.

Tarrant CountyCrime and Public Safety