ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia death row inmate Stacey Humphreys is making a final legal effort to avoid execution as his scheduled Sept. 16 death date approaches.
Humphreys, 53, is set to receive a lethal injection at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson for the 2003 killings of Cyndi Williams and Lori Brown.
His defense team has asked a Cobb County court for a new sentencing trial, arguing that misconduct by a juror during the 2007 penalty phase affected the decision to impose the death penalty. The request was the subject of court proceedings this week, with Judge Tyler Browning considering whether Humphreys should receive another sentencing hearing.
The defense argues that a juror failed to disclose important information during jury selection and later exerted improper influence over the deliberations. Attorneys have also pointed to statements from members of the original jury about the pressure surrounding the death-penalty vote.
Prosecutors have disputed the allegations, arguing that the claims are based on evidence that should have been raised much earlier in the case. They have characterized the allegations as an attempt to revisit a sentencing proceeding that took place nearly two decades ago.
The legal dispute comes just days before Humphreys’ scheduled execution. The Georgia Department of Corrections has confirmed that the execution is set for Wednesday evening and that Humphreys would be the first person executed in Georgia this year if the sentence is carried out.
Execution follows years of appeals
Humphreys was convicted of malice murder and other offenses stemming from the deaths of Williams and Brown. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld his convictions and death sentences in 2010.
His subsequent state and federal habeas proceedings also failed to overturn the sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his federal case in October 2025.
His execution was previously scheduled for December 2025 but did not take place after litigation involving the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. A new execution window was later established for September, with Sept. 16 selected as the scheduled date.
The case has continued to generate legal challenges. A separate application asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stay Humphreys’ execution was filed Aug. 28. The state responded Aug. 31, and Humphreys’ attorneys filed a reply Sept. 2. The Supreme Court docket shows the matter remains part of the ongoing litigation.
Clemency hearing also scheduled
Humphreys has another important proceeding on the calendar before his scheduled execution.
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles has scheduled a special meeting for Sept. 15, one day before the execution, to receive information for or against clemency in his case.
That means the coming days could determine whether Humphreys’ execution proceeds as scheduled or faces another legal or clemency-related delay.
For now, Georgia’s official execution schedule remains unchanged: Humphreys is set to be executed at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the state prison in Jackson.
