The planned execution of a Georgia death row inmate was dramatically suspended at the eleventh hour, just days after he placed an order for an extravagant final meal.
A last-minute reprieve
Stacey Humphreys, a 52-year-old convicted murderer, was scheduled to die by lethal injection on 17 December 2025 at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. His execution was put on hold following a decision by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday, 15 December.
This suspension came after Humphreys, believing his time was short, requested a colossal last meal. His order included barbeque beef brisket, pork ribs, a bacon double cheeseburger, chips, coleslaw, cornbread, buffalo wings, and a meat lover's pan pizza. He also asked for two lemon and lime fizzy drinks and vanilla ice cream.
Legal challenges and a 2003 double murder
Humphreys was convicted for the 2003 murders of two real estate agents, Cyndi Williams, 33, and Lori Brown, 21. He was found guilty of a series of charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and kidnapping with bodily injury. His death sentence was formally imposed on 30 September 2007.
Court documents detail how Humphreys forced the women to remove their clothes and reveal their bank PIN numbers before fatally shooting them. He subsequently withdrew more than $3,000 from their accounts, later stating he needed the money for loan and truck payments.
Clemency bid and jury room irregularities
The suspension stems from a clemency petition filed by the non-profit group Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. His lawyers raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving two members of the parole board who had previous ties to Humphreys. They urged a 90-day halt to proceedings to allow Governor Brian Kemp to appoint new members.
The petition argued there were "profound irregularities that occurred inside the jury room" during his trial. It stated the death sentence emerged after a "coerced breakdown of deliberations" rather than a lawful, unanimous decision. The group also pointed to Humphreys' history of trauma and abuse, and his expressions of remorse, requesting clemency as "an act of justice"
If the execution does not proceed by 24 December 2025, the state will be required to seek a new death warrant, further prolonging a case that has spanned over two decades.
