Alabama sets nitrogen execution for man convicted of killing store clerk during 1997 robbery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama has scheduled a September execution by nitrogen state for a antheral convicted of sidesplitting a convenience store clerk during a 1997 robbery.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey acceptable a Sept. 25 execution day for Geoffrey Todd West. West, present 49, is connected the decease enactment for sidesplitting Margaret Parrish Berry.

Prosecutors said West drove to Harold’s Chevron successful Attalla with plans to rob the store wherever helium erstwhile worked. Berry, 33, was changeable successful the backmost of the caput portion lying connected the level down the counter, prosecutors said.

Court records authorities that $250 was taken from a cooky tin that held the store’s money.

A assemblage convicted West of superior execution and voted 10-2 to urge a decease sentence. A justice adopted the jury’s proposal and sentenced West to death.

Etowah County Circuit Judge William Cardwell during the 1999 sentencing said it was hard to bid the execution of a young antheral but said the shooting decease was “clearly deliberate and intentional, carried retired execution style.”

Prosecutors besides charged West’s woman with the slaying. She pleaded blameworthy and was sentenced to 35 years successful prison.

Alabama past twelvemonth became the archetypal state to transportation retired an execution with nitrogen gas, a method that involves pumping nitrogen done a look disguise and depriving the inmate of oxygen.

The method has present been utilized successful six executions — five successful Alabama and one successful Louisiana. Alabama has scheduled another nitrogen execution successful August.

West was 1 of respective Alabama inmates who selected nitrogen arsenic their preferred execution method aft authorities lawmakers authorized the method. He made the enactment earlier Alabama developed procedures for the method.

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