Georgia halts plans to execute death row inmate who killed sister-in-law

The life of a death-row inmate who was due to be executed overnight now hangs in the balance following a last minute plea from his lawyers.

Keith Leroy Tharpe, 59, was due to be executed by lethal injection in Georgia on Tuesday but a last-ditch effort from his legal team meant his death was postponed after claiming a member of the jury who decided his fate was racist.

Mr Tharpe was sentenced to death in 1991 having been found guilty of the murder of his sister-in-law Jacquelin Freeman the previous year.

Mr Tharpe’s wife, Migrisus Tharpe, had previously left him due to their violent marriage and on September 26, 1990, was driving to work with her sister.

Mr Tharpe intercepted the car and told Ms Freeman he would "f*** you up" before shooting her in the head and throwing her body in a ditch.

He then kidnapped his wife, who was able to call police when he forced her to withdraw cash from a bank.

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Mr Tharpe has spent the last 26 years behind bars and was due to be executed a day after the 27th anniversary of his crime.

But in a last-minute turn of events, his lawyers managed to convince the U.S Supreme Court to grant a stay of execution, News Corp reported.

His lawyers have argued that “racism played a pivotal role” in his sentencing after subsequent interviews with deceased juror Barney Gattie.

He had claimed Ms Freeman was from a family of “good black folks,” but Tharpe on the other hand was not and should be executed for his crime, according to an affidavit.

He said he favoured the death penalty because Mr Tharpe was a “ni***r” and that his Bible study group made him “wonder if black people even have souls”.

More than three hours after Mr Tharpe was due to be executed, the Supreme Court granted a stay of execution in order to review Mr Tharpe’s petition.

“We are extremely thankful that the Court has seen fit to consider Mr. Tharpe’s claim of juror racial bias in regular order,” lawyer for Mr Tharpe, Brian Kammer, said.