JACKSON, Ga., Sept. 29 (UPI) — After the U.S. Supreme Court, Georgia Supreme Court and a federal appeals court all rejected a stay of execution, Kelly Renee Gissendaner was put to death on Tuesday.
Georgia State Department of Corrections officials confirmed Gissendaner died at 12:21 a.m.
“Bless you all,” Gissendaner told witnesses. “Tell the Gissendaners I am so, so sorry that an amazing man lost his life because of me. If I could take it all back, I would.” She sang “Amazing Grace” before losing consciousness.
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles had earlier decided to proceed with her execution — also denying pleas for clemency from the convicted killer and her children. After a last-minute appeal to each court, the others followed suit Tuesday.
Prison officials denied Gissendaner’s request earlier Tuesday and initially set her execution for 7 p.m. local time.
She was the first woman executed in the state in 70 years, and the first “non-trigger” Georgia convict to be put to death in nearly 40 years.
Gissendaner was sentenced to death in 1998 for recruiting her boyfriend to kill her husband. She was set to die twice this year already — in February and March — but the executions were scrapped due to inclement weather and concerns about one of the execution drugs, respectively.
The case reached a higher profile last week when Pope Francis called on the United States to bar capital punishment, and urged Georgia officials through a local archbishop to commute Gissendaner’s sentence.
“While not wishing to minimize the gravity of the crime for which Ms. Gissendander has been convicted, and while sympathizing with the victims, I nonetheless implore you, in consideration of the reasons that have been expressed to your board, to commute the sentence to one that would better express both justice and mercy,” Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano wrote to officials.
Corrections officials, though, announced they would let the original denial of clemency, which was issued in February, stand — and allow the execution to proceed.
The board’s decision also went against the wishes of the Gissendaners’ three children, who had asked for clemency. Her ex-husband’s relatives, though, wanted her put to death.
“In the last 18 years, our mission has been to seek justice for Doug’s murder and to keep his memory alive. We have faith in our legal system and do believe that Kelly has been afforded every right that our legal system affords,” Douglas Gissendaner’s family said in a statement Tuesday. “She’s been given more rights and opportunity over the last 18 years than she ever afforded to Doug who, again, is the victim here. She had no mercy … His life was not hers to take.”
The defense team’s main argument was that Gissendaner’s sentence was harsher than that of her ex-boyfriend, Greg Owen, who committed the murder. Owen was given a life sentence in exchange for his testimony against Gissendaner.
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