Skip to main content
Global Edition
Friday, March 29, 2024

Death row inmate executed after stay was vacated

Credit: WAAY ABC Huntsville, AL
Duration: 0 shares 2 views

Death row inmate executed after stay was vacated
Death row inmate executed after stay was vacated

At 9:01 pm, Alabama executed Nathaniel Woods--a death row inmate convicted in the murders of three Birmingham police officers

Ivey "i beg you to have mercy on him."

Waay 31's will robinson-smith is live outside the federal courthouse in decatur.

He was with alabama attorney general steve marshall tonight while the supreme court was making its decision to ultimately move forward with the execution.

Will, what did he have to say about tonight's developments?

Attorney general marshall told me he expected that the execution of nathaniel woods would always go forward tonight.

He was in morgan county this evening to address church safety.

Marshall said his remarks would be brief so he could continue to oversee the process of making sure the execution continued on schedule.

Within the last 40 minutes, he issued a statement describing the execution as "justice."

Attorney general steve marshall tonight, justice has been served.

Tonight, nathaniel woods, one of two cop killers in the bloodiest day in birmingham police department history, has met his just fate.

Over the last several days, this case has received national attention with advocacy groups like the equal justice initiative and martin luther king iii calling for a stay in the execution.

They said there were issues with the appeals process since wood's attorney dropped him as a client and didn't inform him.

He argued in a court filing that he missed a crucial deadline because of that.

Supporters also point to a confession letter from wood's convicted accomplice saying he alone killed the police officers.

Marshall told me that how people are calling into question the court's ruling, doesn't make sense.

The fact that folks think as a result of the fact that nathaniel woods was not the shooter, which was not anything that was alleged in trial, but instead has accomplice liability, which is a fundamental principle of criminal law, that somehow or another that that's been an objection, i found very difficult to process as a prosecutor.

According to the alabama department of corrections, the lethal injection process began at 8:38 p.m.

Nathaniel woods was pronounced dead at 9:01 p.m.

D-o-c officials said he had no final words.

Reporting live in decatur, will robinson-smith, waay 31 news.

North alabama's u-s congressman - mo brooks - took to twitter with outrage after the stay was granted earlier this evening.

Here's what he posted -- calling the decision quote "nonsense."

He said woods was found guilty by a jury of his peers.

Brooks continued - saying - he sympathizes with the families of the 3 cops killed -- not the killer.

Another congressman from alabama -- u-s senator doug jones -- also made a statement on twitter.

He said he spoke with governor kay ivey's office and expressed his concerns about the woods case.

He said in part quote "a delay is warranted to provide time for a thorough review of all the facts and circumstances to truly ensure justice is done."

Woods received support from civli rights acitivists -- protestors -- and celebrities across the country.

Among those who called for his execution to be stopped were martin luther king the third, reality tv star kim kardashian

You might like