A Georgia man convicted of killing his former girlfriend three decades ago is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday in what would be the state's first execution in over four years. Willie James Pye, 59, was found guilty of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, and burglary in the November 1993 killing of Alicia Lynn Yarbrough. The planned lethal injection using pentobarbital is set to take place at 7 p.m. at the state prison in Jackson.

In their request for clemency, Pye's lawyers argued that the 1996 trial was flawed and highlighted the severe shortcomings in the local public defender system at the time. They stated that Pye is intellectually disabled with an IQ of 68, making him ineligible for execution. They also emphasized the challenges Pye faced from birth, including poverty, neglect, and violence in his family home, which impacted his development.

Despite these arguments, the Georgia Parole Board rejected Pye's bid for clemency after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Pye had been in a tumultuous relationship with Yarbrough, but on the night of the murder, she was living with another man. Pye, along with Chester Adams and a 15-year-old, had planned to rob the man Yarbrough was living with, leading to a series of violent crimes.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged that Pye and his accomplices forced their way into Yarbrough's home, stole from her, raped her at a motel, and ultimately shot her three times, leaving her body on a dirt road. The teenager involved in the crime confessed and testified against Pye, leading to his conviction and death sentence in June 1996.

Pye's lawyers have long argued that he should be resentenced due to inadequate representation during the trial's sentencing phase. They also highlighted Pye's troubled upbringing, including extreme poverty and neglect, as well as potential brain damage from fetal alcohol syndrome. Despite these arguments, the courts upheld Pye's death sentence.

Pye's co-defendant, Chester Adams, pleaded guilty to his role in the crime and received five consecutive life prison sentences. Pye's execution is set to be the first in Georgia since January 2020, as the state moves to resume executions following a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic.