Female inmate sings ‘Amazing Grace’ as put to death in Georgia

The only woman on the US state of Georgia’s death row was executed early yesterday, making her the first woman put to death by the state in seven decades.

Kelly Renee Gissendaner was pronounced dead by injection of pentobarbital at 12.21am at the state prison in Jackson.

She was convicted of murder in the February 1997 killing of her husband after she conspired with her lover, Gregory Owen, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.

Kelly Gissendaner, 47, sobbed as she said she loved her children and apologised to Douglas Gissendaner’s family, saying she hopes they can find some peace and happiness.

She also addressed her lawyer, Susan Casey, who was among the witnesses.

“I just want to say God bless you all and I love you, Susan. You let my kids know I went out singing Amazing Grace,” Gissendaner said.

Prison Warden Bruce Chatman left the execution chamber at 12.11am.

Records from previous executions indicate that the lethal drug is administered within about a minute of the warden leaving the room.

Gissendaner sang Amazing Grace before taking several deep breaths and then becoming still.

More than 100 people gathered in rainy conditions outside the prison to support Gissendaner.

Among them was the Reverend Della Bacote, who said she is a chaplain at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville and who spent several hours with Gissendaner on Tuesday afternoon, talking and praying.

“She was at peace with whatever was to come,” Bacote said.

Kelly Gissendaner repeatedly pushed Owen in late 1996 to kill her husband rather than just divorcing him as Owen suggested, prosecutors have said.

Owen forced Gissendaner to drive to a remote area and stabbed him multiple times, prosecutors said.