Alabama has set an execution date for Derrick Dearman, a man convicted of killing five people with an axe and gun in 2016. Dearman, who confessed to the murders and dropped his appeals to be put to death, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection on October 17. The Alabama Supreme Court authorized the death sentence, setting the stage for the execution. Dearman’s crimes shocked the rural community of Citronelle, where he attacked his then-girlfriend’s family while they slept. The brutal rampage left five family members dead, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Dearman, who was high on methamphetamine during the murders, eventually surrendered to authorities and pleaded guilty to the crimes after firing his attorneys. Despite initially pleading not guilty, a jury found him guilty of capital murder and unanimously recommended a death sentence. Dearman has been on death row since 2018, and his upcoming execution date marks the end of a lengthy legal process. The governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey, set the execution date after Dearman expressed his desire to forgo further appeals in order to bring closure to the victims’ families and accept the consequences of his actions.
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Photo credit aldailynews.com
