Willie James Pye has turn out to be the primary particular person to be executed in Georgia in 4 years.
The 59-year-old was sentenced to dying for the 1993 homicide, kidnapping, armed theft, rape and housebreaking of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. He was put to dying by deadly injection on the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Jail in Jackson on Wednesday night, and pronounced lifeless at 11.03pm.
It was the 76th execution carried out within the state since 1976, when the US Supreme Court docket reinstated the dying penalty. The Georgia Division of Corrections stated Pye accepted a remaining prayer however “didn’t file a remaining assertion”.
A day earlier than the execution, the Georgia Parole Board heard from Pye’s attorneys who submitted an software to remain the person’s execution.
They claimed that Pye shouldn’t be put to dying as a result of he’s intellectually disabled and feels regret for his sufferer’s household. Moreover, his counsel at trial “successfully deserted his submit, leaving nobody and nothing, to face between his consumer and dying,” the applying learn.
“Had defence counsel not abdicated his position, the jurors would have realized that Pye is intellectually disabled and has an IQ of 68.
“In addition they would have realized the challenges he confronted from delivery — profound poverty, neglect, fixed violence and chaos in his household house — foreclosed the potential of wholesome growth.”
Attorneys attributed Pye’s low IQ partially to his mom abusing alcohol whereas pregnant with him. The common particular person has an IQ between 85 and 115.
This proof was by no means heard at trial, his attorneys stated, including that a few of the man’s jurors not need him to be put to dying. “That is exactly the form of proof that helps a life sentence verdict,” the applying added.
Nonetheless, the board rejected the request, all however confirming that the person’s execution would go forward as deliberate. In Georgia, the board has the only authority to vacate a dying penalty sentence.
The execution was subsequently ordered by The Superior Court docket of Spalding County. The board had the choice to commute Pye’s dying sentence to life with or with out the potential of parole, situation a keep or deny clemency altogether.
The Unbiased reached out to Pye’s attorneys to find out in the event that they deliberate to file a writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court docket however didn’t hear again. CNN reported that there was some kind of litigation pending forward of the person’s execution.
Pye had been on the state’s dying row for 28 years. The final particular person in Georgia to be executed was Donnie Cleveland Lance in 2020. Executions within the state got here to a halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pye requested a final meal of two rooster sandwiches, two cheeseburgers, french fries, two luggage of plain potato chips and two lemon-lime sodas.
In accordance with court docket filings, Pye, Chester Adams and Anthony Freeman robbed, kidnapped, raped and murdered Yarbrough three many years in the past.
On the time of her homicide, the 21-year-old was dwelling together with her boyfriend – who was the daddy of her youngster – however had beforehand been in a romantic relationship with Pye.
Her boyfriend signed her youngster’s delivery certificates although Pye believed he was the daddy. Court docket paperwork say this angered Pye and – after discovering out that Yarbrough’s boyfriend had acquired settlement cash from a lawsuit – he and his accomplices deliberate to rob him.
When the lads arrived on the couple’s house, they discovered Yarbrough alone. Pye held the lady at gunpoint and kidnapped her. The boys then went to a motel the place they took turns raping her, the paperwork state.
Afterwards, they put Yarbrough in a automobile and left, ultimately stopping alongside a dust street. That’s the place authorities say Pye instructed the lady to get out of the automobile, made her lie face down and shot her 3 times.
Prosecutors tied Pye to the crime utilizing DNA recovered from his sufferer’s physique.
Adams pleaded responsible to his involvement within the crimes in April 1997 and was handed 5 consecutive life sentences and remains to be behind bars. Freeman, who was 15 on the time, confessed to the crimes, took a plea deal and was the primary witness at Pye’s trial.
He’s presently out on parole.