Posted on 03/21/2024 2:34:02 AM PDT by Morgana
A Georgia man convicted of the killing of his former girlfriend three decades ago was put to death Wednesday evening in the state's first execution in more than four years.
Willie James Pye, 59, received an injection of the sedative pentobarbital and was pronounced dead at 11:03 p.m. at the state prison in Jackson.
He was sentenced to die for his conviction in the November 1993 abduction, rape and shooting death of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough.
Pye's lawyers filed late appeals urging the U.S. Supreme Court to step in, but the justices unanimously rejected to stop the execution.
The defense team argued the state hadn't met necessary conditions for resuming executions after the COVID-19 pandemic and reiterated arguments that Pye was ineligible for execution because of an intellectual disability.
State responses argued the claims had been previously settled by the courts and were without merit.
Pye had been in an on-and-off romantic relationship with Yarbrough, but at the time she was killed, she was living with another man.
He, Chester Adams and a 15-year-old had planned to rob that man and bought a handgun before heading to a party in a nearby town, prosecutors have said.
The trio left the party around midnight and went to the house where Yarbrough lived, finding her alone with her baby.
They forced their way into the house, stole a ring and necklace from Yarbrough, and forced her to go with them, leaving the baby alone, prosecutors said.
The group drove to a motel, where they raped Yarbrough and then left the motel with her in the car, prosecutors said.
They turned onto a dirt road and Pye ordered Yarbrough out of the car, made her lie face down and shot her three times, according to court filings.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Agreed. Supply is not an issue.
Nothing on the witnesses either.
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