Willie James Pye, aged 59 and living in Georgia, is the first person to be executed in the state since January 2020.
As per a statement from the Georgia Department of Corrections, Pye was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough, back in November 1993. He received a lethal injection at 11:03 pm on Wednesday. This marks the first execution in Georgia in over four years.
Pye’s legal representatives submitted a last-minute plea to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the execution, citing procedural deficiencies and contending that the state had not met the prerequisites for resuming executions post-COVID-19. But the appeal was dismissed.
His legal team claimed that brain damage, possibly due to fetal alcohol syndrome, has left him intellectually disabled, impacting his planning and impulse control. Individuals with such disabilities are exempt from execution. But the Georgia Parole Board dismissed these claims on Tuesday and refused to release him.
Lori Benoit, spokesperson for the Department of Corrections, told Pye was visited by six family members, a clergy member and an attorney. He requested chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers as his last meal.
An individual was spotted protesting against the death penalty outside Jackson Prison. Holding a sign that read ‘DON’T KILL Willie Pye’ and his image, the protester grabbed the attention of passing drivers.
Pye, previously involved with Yarbrough, who was living with another man, allegedly planned a robbery with Chester Adams and a 15-year-old accomplice. They obtained a gun, attended a nearby party and then headed to Yarbrough’s home after midnight. Finding her alone with her baby, they broke in, stole her jewellery and forced her to leave the infant behind.
According to prosecutors, the group took Yarbrough to a motel, where they attacked her. They then drove her away in a car. Eventually, they stopped on a dirt road where Pye instructed Yarbrough to exit the vehicle and lie face down. Subsequently, Pye allegedly shot her three times, as detailed in court documents.
Yarbrough’s body was found on November 17, 1993, not long after she died. The police quickly caught Pye, Adams and the teenager. Even though Pye and Adams said they didn’t know what happened to Yarbrough, the teenager admitted to the crime and said they were all involved.
The teenager reached an agreement with prosecutors and became the key witness during Pye’s trial. In June 1996, a jury determined Pye guilty of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and burglary. As a result, he received a death sentence.
Comments
0 comment