According to a press release from the court:
The Supreme Court of Georgia today issued a stay of execution for William Mark Mize to give the trial court judge time to rule on Mizes Extraordinary Motion for New Trial. Chief Judge Lawton Stephens of the Western Judicial Circuit on Monday denied Mizes request for a hearing on the motion, but he did not rule on the motion itself. An appeal to the states highest court is therefore premature.In todays order, the Georgia Supreme Court states the stay will automatically expire 24 hours after the judge rules. Mize, 52, was due to be put to death tonight at 7:00 p.m. by lethal injection for the 1994 murder of Eddie Tucker in Oconee County.
Some background on Mize from the Athens Banner-Herald:
Mize, who led a small group authorities said was related to the Ku Klux Klan, was convicted in December 1995 of killing 34-year-old Eddie Tucker of Hull.In October 1994, a few members of the group - and Tucker, who had filled out an application to join - went into the Northwestern Oconee County woods, supposedly to camp, after Tucker and another group member failed to follow Mize's orders to burn down a purported crack house in Athens.
Mize killed Tucker with a shotgun blast, prosecutors said.
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Thomas, you're just like all those stupid AJC reporters, rewriting press releases all day. :)
The true murderer of Eddie Tucker, named Eric Hattrup, is also in prison and has repeatedly admitted and written affidavits that he and NOT Mark Mize killed the man. If Georgia kills this innocent man, he will be clear before the judgment bar of God, but those who Murder Mark will soon enough themselves be judged and be found guilty of murder before the Almighty God.