Atlanta, Georgia – The scheduled execution of Willie James Pye, 59, for the murder of his former girlfriend has stirred controversy as his lawyers made a last-minute plea for clemency before the lethal injection set for Wednesday evening. Pye was convicted in 1996 for the kidnapping, murder, and rape of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough and was facing execution in Georgia using pentobarbital, as confirmed by the state’s Office of the Attorney General.
Despite efforts by Pye’s legal team to seek a stay of execution through a late petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, the process moved forward on schedule. The petition raised concerns about the state’s readiness to resume executions post-COVID-19, pointing out Pye’s intellectual disability, which had not been disclosed to the jury during his trial.
Pye’s plea for clemency was rejected by the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, leading to a final closed-door hearing where the judge denied the request. His lawyers emphasized Pye’s disadvantaged upbringing and history of violence as factors that should have warranted a life sentence instead of the death penalty.
The case against Pye involved the abduction, rape, and murder of Yarbrough in 1993, where Pye, along with accomplices, planned to rob a man before kidnapping Yarbrough upon discovering her presence in the residence with her child. Pye’s DNA was found at the crime scene, along with other incriminating evidence linking him to the murder.
Numerous appeals over the years, alleging discrepancies in witness testimonies and Pye’s alleged fetal alcohol syndrome, have been unsuccessful in overturning his death sentence. Should the execution proceed, Pye would become the 54th inmate in Georgia to be put to death by lethal injection since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.
His requested last meal of two chicken sandwiches, two cheeseburgers, and other items has drawn attention to the final moments leading up to the scheduled execution. The case has sparked debate over the use of the death penalty and the circumstances surrounding Pye’s conviction, highlighting ongoing concerns about its application and effectiveness in the criminal justice system.