Steven Frederick Spears

Steven Frederick Spears
Born July 1962 (age 54)
Died November 16, 2016
State Prison of Jackson, Georgia
Cause of death Lethal Injection (pentobarbital)
Conviction(s) Murder (August 25, 2001)

Steven Frederick Spears (July 1962 – November 16, 2016) was a convicted murderer who was executed by lethal injection of the barbiturate pentobarbital at a state prison in Jackson, Georgia at 7:30pm on November 16, 2016. He was the eighth person put to death that year by lethal injection in Georgia. The Augusta Chronicle stated: "Spears didn’t make a final statement and declined to have a prayer read. Within minutes of the lethal drug beginning to flow, he took several deep breaths and swallowed a few times before becoming still". His final meal was a large meat pizza.

Spears never fought his sentence after his conviction in August 2001 for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Sherri Holland, at her home in Dahlonega, Georgia. Spears created several different plans to murder his ex-girlfriend and ultimately killed her by taping her mouth and face and putting a plastic bag over her head. After he had hidden in the woods for 10 days, a Lumpkin County deputy sighted him walking to town to surrender. Spears confessed immediately to the murder.

Spears did not assist attorneys during his trials and appeals and declined to open any post-conviction appeals. When Spears was undergoing a mental evaluation he was asked if he wanted to die and replied: "Not really, but would you want to live in a six by nine cell? That's not living." According to the evaluation report he added: "I want to die because I don't want to live like I'm living. It's like a cancer eating me up every day."

See also

References

[1] [2] [3] [4]

  1. ↑ "Georgia carries out its eighth execution of 2016; condemned killer had refused to pursue appeals". Los Angeles Times. November 16, 2016.
  2. ↑ Cook, Rhonda (November 16, 2016). "Georgia executes Steven Spears". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  3. ↑ "Spears Execution Set For Wednesday". November 16, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Georgia carries out eighth execution this year". The Augusta Chronicle. Associated Press. November 17, 2016.
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