Georgia Death Row Inmate Spared Execution Due to New Survivor Justice Law
A Georgia judge granted a stay of execution for Stacey Humphreys, who was scheduled to be put to death for the 2003 murders of two women, allowing him to seek a hearing under a new state law.
A Georgia judge has halted the execution of Stacey Humphreys, a death row inmate convicted of murdering two women in 2003, based on a newly enacted state law. The reprieve came just hours before Humphreys, 53, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday evening.
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Tyler Browning issued a stay of execution Tuesday, allowing Humphreys to pursue a hearing under the Georgia Survivor Justice Act. His attorney, Brian Kammer, argued that Humphreys was a victim of severe childhood abuse and domestic violence, and that this history significantly contributed to his criminal behavior.
"Mr. Humphreys endured years of arbitrary beatings," Kammer told the court, according to WSB-TV. "His attorney added that Humphreys was also sexually abused, beaten, burned with cigarettes and routinely exposed to drug and alcohol abuse as well as domestic violence. Experts testified that these abuses 'did severe damage to [Humphreys] mental health' and 'helped bring about the criminal behavior that brought Mr. Humphreys to his capital trial.'"
Humphreys was sentenced to death for the 2003 killings of Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21, in the suburbs of Atlanta. Evidence presented at his trial indicated that Humphreys ordered the women, who were real estate agents, to strip naked and reveal their bank PINs before fatally shooting them. Over $3,000 was withdrawn from their accounts after the murders. Humphreys stated upon his arrest that he needed the money to pay off a truck loan.
The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed Humphreys' stay of execution to remain in place while the state's appeal of the decision moves forward. The court stated that the appeal involves "important and novel questions regarding the newly enacted SJA." The District Attorney's Office affirmed its focus on supporting the victims' loved ones.
Kammer believes Humphreys' case aligns with the intent of the Survivor Justice Act, which was signed into law this year by Governor Brian Kemp. The law allows individuals convicted of crimes to seek reduced sentences if they can prove their abuse contributed to their actions.
However, attorneys for the state, including Sabrina Graham from the attorney general's office, argued that the law is not applicable to Humphreys' situation. Graham contended that the act was intended for individuals abused by the victims they harmed, and that it does not apply to death row inmates seeking to commute their sentences. She expressed concern that applying the law broadly could allow other inmates to seek similar reviews.
Humphreys had been denied clemency by a parole board prior to the judge's stay of execution. His attorneys are seeking a reduction of his sentence to life in prison.