Lawyers representing a Georgia man slated for execution argue that his intellectual disability and remorse for a crime committed three decades ago should spare him from the death penalty.

Willie James Pye, 59, is set to be executed Wednesday, marking Georgia’s first execution in over four years. Pye was convicted for the murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough in November 1993.

In their clemency application, Pye’s public defenders emphasize his intellectual disability, with an IQ of 68, and the challenging circumstances he faced since birth, including poverty, neglect, and violence in his family. They contend that such factors should have warranted a life sentence rather than the death penalty.

Additionally, Pye’s legal team highlights systemic issues within the Spalding County justice system during the 1990s and Pye’s positive influence on fellow inmates during his incarceration.

The crime for which Pye was convicted involved a planned robbery during which Yarbrough was killed. Pye, along with accomplices Chester Adams and a juvenile, had intended to rob Yarbrough’s partner but ended up taking Yarbrough herself from her home, ultimately leading to her death.

Despite Pye and Adams denying involvement in Yarbrough’s death, the juvenile confessed and implicated them. Pye was subsequently found guilty of multiple charges including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, and burglary, and was sentenced to death in June 1996.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Pye’s defense has contested the reliability of the evidence, particularly statements made by the juvenile witness. They argue that inconsistencies in his statements and Pye’s trial testimony suggest that Yarbrough may have willingly engaged in certain activities leading up to her death.

Furthermore, Pye’s upbringing in extreme poverty, marked by neglect and abuse, is cited as a mitigating factor. His lawyers also point to potential brain damage, possibly caused by fetal alcohol syndrome, affecting his impulse control and cognitive functions.

Pye’s legal team has long maintained that his trial lawyer’s inadequate preparation during the sentencing phase warrants resentencing. Although a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported this argument in April 2021, the full appeals court overturned the decision in October 2022.

In contrast to Pye’s fate, his accomplice Chester Adams, now 55, pleaded guilty to various charges related to Yarbrough’s murder in 1997 and received multiple life sentences.

With Pye’s scheduled execution looming, his case once again brings attention to the complexities of capital punishment, intellectual disability, and the criminal justice system’s handling of mitigating circumstances.

Lawyers representing a Georgia man slated for execution argue that his intellectual disability and remorse for a crime committed three decades ago should spare him from the death penalty.

Willie James Pye, 59, is set to be executed Wednesday, marking Georgia’s first execution in over four years. Pye was convicted for the murder of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough in November 1993.

In their clemency application, Pye’s public defenders emphasize his intellectual disability, with an IQ of 68, and the challenging circumstances he faced since birth, including poverty, neglect, and violence in his family. They contend that such factors should have warranted a life sentence rather than the death penalty.

Additionally, Pye’s legal team highlights systemic issues within the Spalding County justice system during the 1990s and Pye’s positive influence on fellow inmates during his incarceration.

The crime for which Pye was convicted involved a planned robbery during which Yarbrough was killed. Pye, along with accomplices Chester Adams and a juvenile, had intended to rob Yarbrough’s partner but ended up taking Yarbrough herself from her home, ultimately leading to her death.

Despite Pye and Adams denying involvement in Yarbrough’s death, the juvenile confessed and implicated them. Pye was subsequently found guilty of multiple charges including murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, and burglary, and was sentenced to death in June 1996.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Pye’s defense has contested the reliability of the evidence, particularly statements made by the juvenile witness. They argue that inconsistencies in his statements and Pye’s trial testimony suggest that Yarbrough may have willingly engaged in certain activities leading up to her death.

Furthermore, Pye’s upbringing in extreme poverty, marked by neglect and abuse, is cited as a mitigating factor. His lawyers also point to potential brain damage, possibly caused by fetal alcohol syndrome, affecting his impulse control and cognitive functions.

Pye’s legal team has long maintained that his trial lawyer’s inadequate preparation during the sentencing phase warrants resentencing. Although a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported this argument in April 2021, the full appeals court overturned the decision in October 2022.

In contrast to Pye’s fate, his accomplice Chester Adams, now 55, pleaded guilty to various charges related to Yarbrough’s murder in 1997 and received multiple life sentences.

With Pye’s scheduled execution looming, his case once again brings attention to the complexities of capital punishment, intellectual disability, and the criminal justice system’s handling of mitigating circumstances.