Texas on Wednesday executed LeJames Norman, 40, by lethal injection for the 2005 fatal shootings of three people during an attempted robbery at their home. Norman's execution marks the fifth this year in Texas.
Norman was convicted in the deaths of Samuel Roberts, 24, Tiffani Peacock, 18, and Celso Lopez, 38, in Edna, Texas. Court records indicate Norman and his co-defendant, Ker’Sean Ramey, believed drugs were in the house and sought to steal them, but found none. Ramey, who also received a death sentence, is scheduled for execution next week.
Norman was arrested approximately five months after the killings while attempting to re-enter the U.S. from Mexico. He pleaded guilty to capital murder, leaving the sentencing to a jury. The U.S. Supreme Court denied a last-minute request from Norman’s attorneys to halt his execution.
During his execution, Norman declined to make a final statement. He communicated with a sister, two children, and a friend present to witness the event through eye contact. After receiving the lethal dose of pentobarbital, he exhibited slight movements before falling still. A physician pronounced him dead at 6:44 p.m., approximately 30 minutes after the injection began.
Meanwhile, in Georgia, the scheduled execution of Stacey Humphreys, 53, for the 2003 killings of two real estate agents was halted by a judge's decision late Tuesday. Humphreys was convicted of malice murder and other charges in the deaths of Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21, in Powder Springs, Georgia.
The halt came after Humphreys' lawyers filed a petition seeking a resentencing under a new state law that permits victims of abuse to have their sentences reconsidered if their crimes are linked to past abuse. The state appealed the judge's decision, but the Georgia Supreme Court declined to hear the appeal before the scheduled execution time, leaving the lower court's stay in effect.
Humphreys' legal team has also argued that his death sentence was compromised by a juror who allegedly lied during selection and coerced others. Courts have previously dismissed these arguments, though U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has expressed interest in further examining the issue.
Humphreys robbed the victims of more than $3,000 after forcing them to strip and provide bank PINs before he fatally shot them. He was apprehended in Wisconsin after fleeing from authorities days after the murders. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles had denied clemency for Humphreys on Tuesday, with one member recused due to a potential conflict of interest.