Rayford is a bastard because.... well, we don't quite know yet from the demos, but the executed guy seems to hint he is as does using the sword icon on his house.
You can't just kill him without a small army of guards hunting you down so, how shall he be finished?
1. BRIGANDS- They straight-up kill the bastard while he's relatively unguarded traveling in a distant land in a way that keeps suspicion off them, then threaten/blackmail his successor who is either a brigand or a yes-man puppet. Kurdt marries his unhappy wife/daughter who is surprisingly fond of him. Brigands take control of the guards and enjoy a nice extortion racket in exchange for keeping the peace.
2. THIEVES- Rayford is framed for a massive crime-wave. Evidence is found leaking him to the crime wave, and the robbery of his house is viewed as being forged by him as a cover. Thieves bribe the successor and bring crime to a balance in the land.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guild_of_Thieves3. WIZARD- Being a badass wizard pimp, and Rayford harassing him, Prospero cooks up a spell of craziness to be used on Rayford. Rayford goes on a mad rampage, and is later put to death. Rayford's skull is later turned into a familiar, or his corpse becomes a mindless zombie used for simple tasks.
4.
Rayford is framed and sent to prison, where he is raped to death by an ogre.