Georgia executes man for 1993 murder in first execution since before the pandemic

Georgia executed a prisoner for the first time since January 2020 on Wednesday night, after the Supreme Court ruled out a delay earlier in the day.

Willie James Pye, a death row inmate, was executed at 11:03 p.m. Wednesday for the 1993 murder of his ex-girlfriend Alicia Lynn Yarbrough, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.

According to the advisory, he “accepted final prayers but did not record a final statement.”

Pai filed for a stay of execution late Wednesday night, arguing that the state is “defending due process and equality of the law by denying certain classes of death row inmates benefits that have been explicitly granted to other death row inmates.” “denied proper protection.” A prisoner in Georgia. ”

“The potential injury is not just his death, but his premature death based on an arbitrary and unequal classification imposed by the state,” court documents state. motion To stop executions.

The state’s response to his appeal said the high court “should deny the petition and deny Mr. Pai’s request for a stay of execution.”

The last execution took place on January 29, 2020, according to Department of Corrections data. The Associated Press noted that executions in the state have been suspended for four years due to the coronavirus pandemic and pursuing legal arguments. after that.

The Hill has reached out to the Georgia Department of Corrections for comment.

The Associated Press contributed.

Story updated at 11:31 p.m.