An Alabama death row inmate, Anthony Boyd, who asserts his innocence, has reached out to Republican Governor Kay Ivey, asking for a meeting before his scheduled execution this week.
Boyd, 53, is set to be executed by nitrogen gas on Thursday night at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility for the capital murder of Gregory Huguely, who died in a fire in 1993.
In a recorded message shared during a news conference held by the Death Penalty Intervention Project and his spiritual advisor, Rev. Jeff Hood, Boyd expressed a desire to meet with the governor. He stated, “Before an innocent man is executed, please sit down with me and talk to the man you considered one of the worst of the worst.”
Interestingly, Boyd mentioned that if he feels Governor Ivey deceives or evades the discussion, he would prefer the execution go ahead. He stated, “If not, I ask you to halt this execution and allow my case to be fully and fairly investigated.”
Mike Lewis, a spokesperson for Ivey, noted that the governor reviews each case but emphasized that there haven’t been any recent court filings disputing Boyd’s guilt in the grim death of Huguely, nor any clemency requests. Lewis described Boyd’s request as “particularly unfeasible,” pointing out that the governor’s review process doesn’t typically involve one-on-one meetings with inmates.
Since taking office in 2017, Governor Ivey has only halted one execution. Huguely’s remains were discovered on August 1, 1993, in a baseball field in Talladega County. Prosecutors claimed Boyd was involved in his kidnapping the day before, with a witness testifying about the harrowing scene of Huguely being bound and set on fire over a $200 drug debt.
Boyd’s defense contended he was at a party when the crime took place, but the jury still convicted him of kidnapping with a 10-2 vote recommending the death penalty.
Boyd is slated for execution by nitrogen gas, a method that Alabama implemented only last year. His lawyers sought to have the execution blocked while they examined the method, but a federal judge denied their request. Furthermore, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a last-minute plea to stay the execution.
Another individual involved in the case, Sean Ingram, who reportedly poured gasoline on Huguely, also received a death sentence and remains on death row in Alabama.
