In Montgomery, Alabama, an execution date has been set for April for James Osgood, a man convicted of rape and murder in a 2010 case and who has requested the state carry out his death sentence. James Osgood, aged 55, is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on April 24, as announced by Governor Kay Ivey of Alabama. Osgood was found guilty of the murder of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County, involving a brutal attack where her throat was cut following a sexual assault involving Osgood and his then-girlfriend.
In a significant turn of events over the summer, Osgood decided to forego his appeals, asking for an execution date to be set. In a letter penned last July to his attorney, Osgood expressed feelings of exhaustion and a desire to face the execution, stating, “I no longer feel as if I’m even existing. I’m tired. I want to complete my sentence.” His letter, which was included in court filings, also extended gratitude towards his attorney for her dedication.
Initially convicted and sentenced to death in 2014, Osgood’s sentence faced a setback when an appeals court identified improper jury instructions and overturned it. However, upon resentencing in 2018, Osgood himself requested the death penalty, adhering to his belief in retributive justice by saying he supported “an eye for an eye.” He admitted to the court, “A couple of years ago I really screwed up. I’m guilty and I deserve death. That’s what I want.” Despite renewing appeals post-sentencing, Osgood withdrew them this summer.
Tracy Lynn Brown’s lifeless body was discovered on October 23, 2010, when her employer raised concerns after she failed to report to work. Prosecutors noted that Osgood confessed to his involvement, describing a chilling plot with his girlfriend to kidnap and torture, leading to the assault and murder of Brown.
During the 2018 sentencing, the judge highlighted Osgood’s troubled past, which encompassed experiences of sexual abuse, abandonment, and a suicide attempt. Additionally, it was noted that his brain development might have been compromised due to malnutrition during infancy. However, the judge underscored that Osgood was the one who committed the deadly act against Brown, ignoring her pleas during a violent assault.
Osgood’s former girlfriend, implicated as an accomplice in the crime, accepted a plea deal resulting in a life sentence. Governor Ivey’s decision to authorize the execution comes shortly after commuting the death sentence of another death row inmate, Robin “Rocky” Myers, to life imprisonment, citing uncertainties regarding Myers’ guilt as the reason to halt his execution. Governor Ivey’s act of clemency is her first, marking a rare occurrence since Alabama last saw a governor commute a death sentence in 1999.
