Alabama Inmate Executed for 1993 Robbery and Murder
An Alabama inmate convicted of killing a man during a 1993 robbery when he was a teenager was executed Thursday by lethal injection.
Casey McWhorter, 49, was pronounced dead at 6:56 p.m. at a southwest Alabama prison, authorities said. McWhorter was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death for his role in the robbery and shooting death of Edward Lee Williams, 34, on Feb. 18, 1993.
Prosecutors said McWhorter, who was three months past his 18th birthday at the time of the killing, conspired with two younger teenagers, including Williams' 15-year-old son, to steal money and other items from Williams' home and then kill him. The jury that convicted McWhorter recommended a death sentence by a vote of 10-2, which a judge, who had the final decision, imposed, according to court records. The younger teens — Edward Lee Williams Jr. and Daniel Miner, who was 16 — were sentenced to life in prison, according to court records.
At 6:30 p.m., the curtain to the execution chamber was opened by prison officials. The inmate, McWhorter, was already strapped to the gurney with the intravenous lines connected. At the beginning of the procedure, McWhorter moved slightly, rubbing his fingers together, but eventually his breathing slowed down until it was no longer visible.
In his final words, McWhorter expressed his love for his mother and family. He also apologized to the victim's family, saying, "I hope you find peace."
McWhorter also took the opportunity to make a comment about the prison warden, who had faced domestic violence accusations in the past. He said, "it's not lost on me that a habitual abuser of women is carrying out this procedure."
According to prosecutors, McWhorter and Miner went to the Williamses' home armed with rifles and homemade silencers made from a pillow and a milk jug. When the older Williams arrived home and found the teenagers, he tried to grab the rifle held by Miner. A struggle ensued, and McWhorter fired the first shot at Williams. The crime summary in court filings states that Williams was shot a total of 11 times.
April Williams, the victim's daughter, expressed her sorrow that her father could not be spending time with his grandchildren and enjoying his retirement today.
"I think about him every day and how much I miss him," April Williams said in a statement.
April Williams expressed her ongoing grief over the loss of her father, Casey McWhorter, in a statement read by Corrections Commissioner John Q. Hamm. She reflected on the fact that McWhorter had hours to reconsider his actions before taking her father's life.
The defense attorneys attempted to halt the execution by appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that McWhorter was underage at the time of the crime. They claimed that the death sentence violated the constitution because Alabama law does not consider someone a legal adult until they are 19 years old.
McWhorter, who referred to himself as a "confused kid" when the murder occurred, advised young people facing difficult times to take a moment to think before making life-altering decisions, as he did.
In an interview with The Associated Press, McWhorter stated, "Before making any impulsive choices, take a few seconds to really think about it. Because one wrong decision can change your life, and the lives of those you care about, forever." Despite his claims, McWhorter was found guilty of intentionally killing Williams. Attorney General Steve Marshall revealed that McWhorter shot Williams in the head while he was already wounded and on the ground.
McWhorter spent close to three decades on Alabama's death row, making him one of the state's longest-serving death row inmates among the 165 currently awaiting execution.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey released a statement expressing that Casey A. McWhorter has faced consequences for taking the life of Edward Lee Williams. The execution took place tonight," said Gov. Ivey.
The Rev. Jeff Hood, a death row minister who is part of an anti-death penalty group, accompanied McWhorter as his spiritual advisor during the execution. Hood stated, "I am aware that he was a murderer and tonight all Alabamians are as well. I hope that we can all learn to stop killing each other,"
On the same night, Texas executed a man who was convicted of strangling a 5-year-old girl that was abducted from a Walmart store almost 22 years ago.
McWhorter is the second inmate to be executed in Alabama this year. The state had temporarily halted executions to review procedures after a series of unsuccessful or problematic executions. In July, James Barber, 64, was executed by lethal injection for the 2001 beating death of a woman.
In January, Alabama plans to be the first state to attempt executing an inmate using nitrogen gas. While nitrogen hypoxia has been approved as an execution method in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi, it has not been utilized by any state.
