Georgia executes Kelly Gissendaner, despite plea from Pope Francis
- 9 years ago
Convicted murder conspirator Kelly Renee Gissendaner was put to death by lethal injection at 12:21 a.m. Wednesday, despite a flurry of last-ditch efforts to stay the execution.
Lawyers for the only woman on Georgia’s death row filed multiple appeals with high courts of both the United States and the state of Georgia.
Gissendaner, 47 and a mother of three, was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday evening for her role in the 1997 murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner.
Prosecutors said Kelly Gissendaner conspired with her lover, Gregory Owen, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.
Owen, who took a plea deal and testified against Gissendaner, is serving life in prison and will become eligible for parole in 2022.
Gissendaner was the only woman on death row in Georgia and the first to be executed in the state in 70 years.
Lawyers for the only woman on Georgia’s death row filed multiple appeals with high courts of both the United States and the state of Georgia.
Gissendaner, 47 and a mother of three, was scheduled to die by lethal injection at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday evening for her role in the 1997 murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner.
Prosecutors said Kelly Gissendaner conspired with her lover, Gregory Owen, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.
Owen, who took a plea deal and testified against Gissendaner, is serving life in prison and will become eligible for parole in 2022.
Gissendaner was the only woman on death row in Georgia and the first to be executed in the state in 70 years.