Gov. Ivey Sets August Execution Date for David Lee Roberts

Montgomery- Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has set an execution date for David Lee Roberts, who was convicted of the brutal 1992 murder of Annetra Jones in Marion County. Roberts, 59, is scheduled to be put to death by nitrogen hypoxia between midnight on August 21 and 6 a.m. on August 22. He will be the third person in Alabama to be executed by this method and the fourth executed by the state in 2025.

Roberts was found guilty of two counts of capital murder in December 1992. According to court documents, he fatally shot Jones—who was asleep at her boyfriend’s home where Roberts was also staying—three times in the head with a rifle before setting the house on fire. He had stolen money from her wallet prior to the killing. The fire damaged multiple rooms of the residence, and Jones’s body was partially burned.

During his initial sentencing, a Marion County jury recommended life without parole by a vote of 7-5, but the judge overrode the recommendation and imposed the death penalty. After an appeal, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals ordered a new sentencing hearing to allow the presentation of mitigating evidence. A second jury also recommended a life sentence, but again, the trial judge imposed the death penalty. That sentence was later upheld by the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Roberts’ execution will mark the sixth time Alabama has used nitrogen hypoxia—a highly controversial method introduced in 2024 as an alternative to lethal injection. The most recent execution by this method was that of Gregory Hunt, who was put to death on June 10 for the 1988 murder of Karen Lane.

In a statement, Gov. Ivey confirmed she does not intend to grant clemency in Roberts’ case.

Roberts has been on death row since May 4, 1994. His execution is scheduled to take place at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore.

GKI Letter to Commissioner John Hamm 06-26-2025

Death Warrant (David Lee Roberts)