Georgia's only execution in 2026 is set to take place in just hours thanks to surprising legal loophole
Georgia is set to execute its only death row inmate of the year in a matter of hours - and there's a surprising reason why.
Stacey Humphreys has been on death row for nearly 20 years following the 2003 murder of two real estate agents, Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21.
On November 3, he entered their sales office, where he forced the two women to give him their bank PINs before shooting them both dead.
Evidence following the investigation suggested that the two women had also been strangled, and $3,000 had been retrieved from their accounts.
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But Humphreys is the only inmate scheduled to be executed by the state this year, despite Georgia having 33 people currently waiting on death row.
The reason behind this comes down to a long-running legal battle dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It temporarily blocked the state from seeking execution warrants for nine inmates, and while some of the conditions have since been lifted, the agreement still presents legal hurdles for those prisoners.
However, Humphreys isn't one of the nine, meaning that Georgia has been able to pursue his execution separately.
And as for the other 23 inmates, they are now going through the usual appeals and legal processes that come with a death sentence.
Prior to his execution tomorrow (September 16), the murderer ordered an array of food for his final meal, given that Georgia, unlike other states, does not have any final meal restrictions.
Many states, such as Florida and Oklahoma, impose a budget that inmates must stick to, and many forbid fast food.
But given the freedom inmates in Georgia receive, the 53-year-old proceeded to order barbecue beef brisket, pork ribs, a bacon double cheeseburger, french fries, buffalo wings and a meat lovers pan pizza.
But it didn't stop there, because for desert, he asked for butter pecan ice cream, peach ice cream, and two caffeine-free sodas.
Which states have the death penalty?
According to the Death Penalty Information Center, 27 US states have the death penalty, though it is not actively carried out in all of them.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California (executive hold on executions since 2019)
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- Ohio (executive hold on executions since 2020)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (executive hold on executions since 2011)
- Pennsylvania (executive hold on executions since 2015)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Wyoming
Mia Williams