By Jerald Jimenez
May 30, 2024, 09:20 AM EDT
A 50-year-old Alabama man will be sentenced tonight after being convicted of the murder of two elderly men in 2004. It will be the first execution in that state since Kenneth Eugene, who was the first person to be put to death by nitrogen gas. in January.
The subject identified as Jamie Ray Mills was convicted of the murder of Floyd Hill, 87, and his wife, Vera Hill, 72. According to prosecutors, Mills and his wife went to the couple’s home, where they attacked them with a hammer, a tire tool and a machete.
Although the murders were proven, Mills has maintained his innocence and has asked the United States Supreme Court to intervene. The defense has argued that newly obtained evidence shows that the prosecution lied about having a plea agreement with Mills’ wife to spare him the death penalty if she testified against her husband.
Floyd Hill was caring for his wife, who was diabetic and had health problems. The couple periodically held garage sales to supplement their income. However, one day the couple’s granddaughter could not locate them and she called the officers, who after searching, found them in pools of blood in the backyard shed where they stored items for garage sales.
It was determined that Floyd died from blunt force and cutting injuries to the head and neck, while Vera Hill died about 12 weeks later from complications of head trauma.
JoAnn Mills, Jamie’s wife, said in court after staying up the night of the murder smoking methamphetamine, her husband said he was going to see a man for some money. She later saw her husband repeatedly hit the couple in the backyard shed.
After Jamie Mills’ involvement was proven following his wife’s testimony, the jury voted for capital punishment in a vote of 11 to 1. The woman was also accused of capital murder, but after testifying against her husband, she pleaded guilty of a reduced charge of murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
With information from the Associated Press