Willie Pye: Georgia executes man with lethal injection for killing GF in first death penalty in 4 years
JACKSON, GEORGIA: A convict on death row for killing his girlfriend was executed with lethal injection in Georgia on Wednesday, March 20. Willie James Pye, 59, also uttered his final words moments before he was put to death.
At the state prison in Jackson, Georgia, Willie James Pye, 59, was given an injection of pentobarbital and was later declared dead at 11:03 pm.
He was sentenced to death for his involvement in the kidnapping, assault and fatal shooting of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough in November 1993.
Willie Pye's last word before execution
It is customary to ask someone who is going to be executed if they have any last words to say. Some will take the chance to declare their innocence, while others will offer an apology or speak to the victims and their families.
However, Pye responded with a single word when the warden asked if he had any last remarks. The convicted killer just gave a simple "no" sign. He replied that he would like a prayer said for him, The Mirror reported.
Following a brief prayer, a clergy member asked God to grant Pye some grace and mercy. The drugs started flowing while Pye stayed largely motionless.
About half a dozen times, he started to exhale quickly, making his lips tremble and his cheeks dimple every time. He then became still. The warden entered the death chamber a few minutes later and declared the time of death.
The Supreme Court was asked to intervene by Pye's attorneys through late appeals, but the justices unanimously decided not to halt the execution.
The defense team maintained their claims that Pye was not eligible for execution due to an intellectual disability and contended that the state had not fulfilled the requirements for starting executions again following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In response, the state argued that the allegations were baseless and had already been settled by the courts. The last execution in Georgia occurred in January 2020, before the Covid-19 pandemic spread.
Alicia Yarbrough was shot three times
Yarbrough and Pye had an intermittent romantic relationship, but she was living with another man when she was killed.
Prosecutors asserted that Pye, Chester Adams, and a 15-year-old (who wasn't named) had planned to rob the man and purchase a firearm before going to a party in a nearby town.
Around midnight, the three of them left the party and went to Yarbrough's house, where they discovered her with her infant.
Prosecutors claimed that after forcing their way inside the home, they took a necklace and ring from Yarbrough and made her leave the infant behind.
Prosecutors claimed that after leaving the motel with Yarbrough in the car, the group drove to another location where they assaulted her.
According to court documents, after they turned onto a dirt road, Pye ordered Yarbrough out of the car, forced her to lie face down, and shot her three times. On November 17, 1993, Yarbrough's body was discovered just a few hours after her death.
The teen, Pye, and Adams were taken into custody right away. Yarbrough's death was not disclosed to Pye or Adams, but the adolescent later confessed and named the other two.
The teenager and the prosecution came to a plea deal, and the teen testified principally in Pye's trial. In June 1996, a jury found Pye guilty of murder, kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, and burglary; he was given the death penalty.
