ATLANTA (AP) – A Georgia man convicted of forging checks and killing a close friend of his mother is to be executed Tuesday despite his claims that he didn’t commit the murder.
Brian Keith Terrell, 47, is scheduled to die at 7 p.m. at the state prison in Jackson. He was convicted in the June 1992 killing of John Watson in Covington, about 35 miles east of Atlanta.
Terrell’s lawyers say their client is innocent, that no physical evidence connects him to the crime and prosecutors used false and misleading testimony to get the conviction. State lawyers say courts have already heard and rejected the defense arguments.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, which is the only entity with the authority to commute a death sentence, on Monday denied Terrell’s request for clemency. He still has court challenges pending.
Terrell was on parole when he stole and forged checks belonging to Watson, who reported the theft but asked police not to pursue charges if Terrell returned most of the money. On the day Terrell was to return the money, he had his cousin drive him to Watson’s house, where he shot the 70-year-old man several times and severely beat him, lawyers for the state have said.