Cloudy Drugs and 'An Abundance of Caution' Delay Atlanta Woman's Execution as Tens of Thousands Protest

An Atlanta woman’s scheduled execution was given an 11^th-hour delay yet again — this time by the Department of Corrections late Monday evening.

Kelly Gissendaner, convicted in 1998 of conspiring to and abetting in murder of her then-husband, Doug, faced execution at 7 p.m. EST on Monday. Her original execution — scheduled for the evening of Feb. 25 — was delayed due to weather. After several appeals for clemency were denied by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and the Georgia Supreme Court, Gissendaner’s lawyers petitioned the Supreme Court to hear her appeal and to issue a stay in the meantime.

Though there has yet been no word from the Supreme Court, the request for delay was honored — at least in part. According to CNN, the execution is on hold due to the cloudy appearence of the drugs prepared for the execution.

CNN reports: 

"Prior to the execution, the drugs were sent to an independent lab for testing of potency. The drugs fell within the acceptable testing limits," the Georgia Department of Corrections said in a statement.

"Within the hours leading up to the scheduled execution, the Execution Team performed the necessary checks. At that time, the drugs appeared cloudy. The Department of Corrections immediately consulted with a pharmacist, and in an abundance of caution, inmate Gissendaner's execution has been postponed."

It is not yet clear when the Supreme Court will issue a decision, according to the Huffington Post.

Thousands of concerned individuals continue to sign a petition to commute Gissendaner’s sentence to life in prison, citing her years-long transformation in confinement from a self-described “angry” and “bitter” person convicted of murder into a contemplative, respectful, theology-studying, inmate-counseling woman of deep faith.

Several hundred faith leaders also signed a letter over the weekend and early Monday begging for state officials to show Gissendaner mercy.

While SCOTUS deliberates and the Department of Corrections considers a reschedule, we pray. Read more about Gissendaner’s life in prison here and here.