Execution halted for Georgia man convicted in Powder Springs killings
Stacey Ian Humphreys (GDOC)
JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. - Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles has temporarily stopped the execution of Stacey Humphreys, which had been scheduled for Wednesday night, according to The Associated Press.
What we know:
The order, signed Monday by board chair Joyette Holmes, pauses the execution but does not explain why or specify how long the delay will last. The board also postponed a clemency hearing that had been set for Tuesday morning.
PREVIOUS STORY: Convicted killer Stacey Humphreys' execution moving forward
Humphreys, 52, was sentenced to death for the 2003 killings of real estate agents Cyndi Williams and Lori Brown in Powder Springs. He was set to be executed by lethal injection at the state prison near Jackson. The current death warrant remains valid through noon on Dec. 24, meaning the state would need to seek a new warrant if the execution does not occur by then.
What they're saying:
Humphreys’ attorneys are challenging the makeup of the parole board, arguing that two members have conflicts of interest tied to the original case. One board member, Kimberly McCoy, previously worked as a victim advocate with the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office and was assigned to the victims’ families. The other, Wayne Bennett, served as Glynn County sheriff when the trial was moved there and oversaw court security at the time.
During a court hearing Monday, McCoy agreed to abstain from voting on Humphreys’ clemency request, though questions remain about whether she could still participate in discussions. Bennett testified that his past role would not influence his decision and said he was not directly involved in juror or trial security operations.
State attorneys countered that Humphreys is entitled to a clemency vote by a quorum of three board members, not necessarily all five, and argued that the governor cannot appoint temporary replacements without exceeding the board’s constitutionally mandated size.
What's next:
Humphreys’ lawyers are asking a judge to block the execution until the court rules on whether the board members should be recused and whether abstaining members must be replaced. They warned that the parole board could lift the execution suspension at any time.
The judge has not yet issued a ruling, leaving the timing of any future execution uncertain as legal challenges continue.
The backstory:
Humphreys was convicted and sentenced to death in 2007 after a Glynn County jury found him guilty of killing Lori Brown, 21, and Cynthia Williams, 33, inside a model home at the Oakwind subdivision where they worked as real estate agents.
EARLIER STORY: Execution date set for convicted killer Stacey Humphreys
Prosecutors said Humphreys kidnapped the women from the Cobb County property, then shot, strangled, and robbed them, taking their ATM and credit cards.