Georgia inmate executed for first time in 4 years for 1993 rape and murder

ATLANTA — Georgia has executed its first inmate in four years.

According to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Willie James Pye, 59, was executed at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson at 11:03 p.m. by lethal injection.

Pye, was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Alicia Yarbrough, in 1993. His execution is the first execution since 2020.

Pye chose a last meal of two chicken sandwiches, two cheeseburgers, french fries, two bags of plain chips and two lemon-lime sodas.

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The Georgia Parole Board denied clemency for Pye on Tuesday.

Clemency hearings are not open to the public.

Pye’s public defenders argued that Pye is intellectually disabled and has an IQ of just 68. Defenders argued that Pye also grew up poor and in a violent, chaotic family environment.

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Yarbrough and Pye had an on-and-off relationship. At the time she was killed, Yarbrough was living with another man. Pye, Chester Adams and a 15-year-old boy had planned to rob Yarbrough’s boyfriend and bought a handgun.

They went to Yarbrough’s house around midnight and found her alone with her baby. They took her with them and left the baby alone.

Prosecutors said they then took turns raping Yarbrough before they took her to an isolated dirt road, made her lie face down and shot her three times.

Pye, Adams and the teenager were all quickly arrested. Pye was found guilty of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape and burglary in 1996. He was sentenced to death.

According to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, Pye did accept a final prayer and did not record a final statement.

Pye was the 54th inmate put to death by lethal injection.

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