Georgia prison officials have scheduled the execution of Stacey Humphreys, 53, for Sept. 16. Humphreys was convicted of malice murder in the 2003 killings of Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21, who were real estate agents in the Atlanta suburbs.
The execution is set to take place at the state prison near Jackson, according to the Department of Corrections. Humphreys' scheduled execution would mark the first in Georgia this year. The state's death penalty process has faced delays due to litigation concerning a COVID-19-related agreement that defense attorneys argue temporarily protects many death row inmates from execution. The last execution in Georgia occurred in March 2024.
Humphreys was previously slated for execution in December but it was halted after his legal team filed a petition challenging the impartiality of two members of the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. His lawyers contended that these members had conflicts of interest due to their roles during his trial. One board member, Kimberly McCoy, served as a victim advocate with the Cobb County district attorney’s office and was assigned to work with the victims' families. Another member, Wayne Bennett, was the sheriff of Glynn County, where the trial was moved. Humphreys' attorneys argued Bennett oversaw security for the jury and Humphreys during the proceedings.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney put the execution on hold to consider the matter. In March, he ruled that McCoy must recuse herself due to a "material conflict of interest." However, he found that Bennett had minimal recollection of the trial and did not have a conflict.
Judge McBurney also denied a request from Humphreys' lawyers to compel the governor to appoint a substitute parole board member, which would have ensured a full five-member board heard the clemency petition. The judge indicated that the decision rested with the governor and the board, suggesting they would consider the finality of the death penalty and the tradition of a five-member panel.
Humphreys' lawyers appealed to the Georgia Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case. A subsequent petition to the U.S. Supreme Court remains pending. The defense team has urged the parole board to postpone the execution until a replacement for McCoy is appointed for his clemency hearing, emphasizing the need for thoroughness in capital punishment cases.
Evidence presented at trial indicated that Humphreys entered a model home sales office in Powder Springs on Nov. 3, 2003, and forced the two agents to strip and provide their bank PINs before shooting them. He then took their identification and bank cards, withdrawing over $3,000 from their accounts to repay payday loans. At the time of the killings, Humphreys was on parole for a 1993 felony theft conviction, having been released from prison 13 months prior.
Witnesses reported seeing a man matching Humphreys' description and a vehicle similar to his at the scene. After fleeing from police who attempted to question him at his home, Humphreys was arrested in Wisconsin following a high-speed chase. Investigators found a Ruger handgun in his rented vehicle that matched the bullets used in the killings. Forensic analysis confirmed DNA evidence linking the gun to Williams and Humphreys' truck to Brown.