GREG BLUESTEIN
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA – An attorney for the Georgia man who is set to be executed this week after he was convicted of the 1986 killings of his ex-girlfriend and her 11-year-old niece is preparing to petition Georgia’s top court for a last-minute reprieve.
Melbert Ray Ford’s attorney is preparing to file an appeal that claims his death penalty is disproportionate and that it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment because he’s sat on death row for more than two decades.
A lower judge on Tuesday denied a similar appeal from Ford, who is scheduled to be put to death at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Ford’s attorney Brian Mendelsohn said he was “disappointed” by the decision and preparing to appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court and beyond.