The scheduled execution of 52-year-old Georgia death row inmate Stacey Humphreys has been temporarily halted just days before his planned lethal injection. Humphreys was convicted for the 2003 murders of two real estate agents, Cyndi Williams and Lori Brown, and had been on death row since his sentencing. In the lead-up to the execution, he attracted attention by requesting an unusually large and indulgent last meal.
His order included a spread of barbecue beef brisket, pork ribs, a bacon double cheeseburger, french fries, coleslaw, cornbread, buffalo wings, a meat lovers’ pizza, two lemon-lime sodas and vanilla ice cream—prompting widespread media coverage of the request. Humphreys’ lawyers had been pursuing legal avenues to delay or stop the execution, though earlier appeals were denied by both a federal judge and the Supreme Court.
The pause came after a last-minute clemency petition was filed with the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The petition, backed by a nonprofit group and over 1,400 signatures, alleges procedural irregularities during Humphreys’ original trial, including claims of juror misconduct and coerced deliberations. Advocates argue these issues could have improperly influenced the death sentence.
With the execution now on hold, the board has the authority to grant clemency or require a new warrant. Whether Humphreys will still face execution if the board refuses clemency remains uncertain, and the high-profile last meal request has remained a notable part of the story as the case unfolds.
