US Man To Be Executed After He Asks For Death Penalty: “Stop Wasting Everybody’s Time”

The US state of Alabama will be executing a man after he dropped his appeals, stating that he does not want to keep “wasting everybody’s time”. James Osgood, 55, admitted that he was guilty of raping and murdering a woman 15 years ago as he requested for the death penalty, according to a report in CBS News.

Osgood will be executed by lethal injection at 6 pm at William Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, on Thursday (Apr 24).

“The reason I dropped my appeals is that I am guilty of murder. I’m a firm believer in, like I said in court, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I took a life, so mine was forfeited. I don’t believe in sitting here and wasting everybody’s time and everybody’s money,” Osgood said in a telephone interview from prison.

Osgood was sentenced to death for the 2010 murder of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County. As per the court documents, Osgood cut Ms Brown’s throat after he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted her. His girlfriend, who was Ms Brown’s cousin, was sentenced to life in prison.

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Osgood said he regrets all the “pain and suffering” he has caused Brown’s family and his own. He added that he doesn’t use Brown’s name whilst discussing the case as he feel he does not have the right to do so.

“I would like to say to the victim’s family, I apologise. I’m not going to ask their forgiveness because I know they can’t give it,” said Osgood.

Osgood added that he doesn’t want opponents of the death penalty protesting under his name.

“I don’t want protesting for me. There is no need. I asked for this. If you want to protest against executions, that’s fine, just don’t use my name as your platform,” he said.

Notably, Osgood’s initial death sentence was commuted by an appeals court ruling that jurors were given improper instructions. However, during a 2018 resentencing, Osgood asked to be executed, saying he didn’t want the families to endure another hearing.