A judge in Alabama has halted the upcoming execution of a convicted killer to investigate his competency. David Lee Roberts, 59, was supposed to be executed on Aug. 21 for the 1992 murder of Annetra Jones. However, Marion County Circuit Judge Talmage Lee Carter issued a temporary stay to determine if Roberts fully understands the consequences of his execution.
Carter explained that the execution will remain on hold until the Alabama Department of Mental Health completes its assessment of Roberts. Roberts was set to be executed using nitrogen gas, a controversial method that Alabama recently adopted. His lawyers argue that his death sentence should be postponed due to his diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia.
The Alabama attorney general’s office is not appealing the stay, but they have requested an expedited evaluation of Roberts’ competency. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states cannot execute inmates who are deemed insane and do not comprehend the reasons for their execution. However, Alabama law does not provide a specific standard for evaluating competency for execution.
Roberts was convicted of murdering Jones by shooting her three times in the head and setting her house on fire in 1992. Jurors initially recommended a life sentence without parole, but a judge overrode that decision and sentenced him to death. Alabama no longer permits judges to override jury sentences in capital cases.
