Georgia carried out its first execution in over four years on Wednesday night, administering a lethal injection of pentobarbital to 59-year-old Willie James Pye at the state prison in Jackson.
Pye had been convicted in 1996 for his involvement in the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough, three years prior.
Despite legal appeals arguing against his execution, including concerns about the state’s readiness post-Covid-19 and Pye’s intellectual disability, the supreme court upheld the decision.
Pye’s defense team contended that his court-appointed attorney had failed to adequately present evidence of his intellectual disability and troubled upbringing during his trial.
The tragic incident involved Pye and two others forcing their way into Yarbrough’s home, subsequently raping her before Pye fatally shot her.
Pye’s execution marked the 54th instance of lethal injection since the reinstatement of the death penalty in Georgia in 1976.
Currently, there are 35 men and one woman awaiting execution in the state.
