Death Row killer dies 'foaming at the mouth' in horror execution gone wrong

A death row killer found guilty of murdering a woman during a petrol station robbery in 1997 was executed on Thursday, despite the victim's son pleading for his life to be spared. Geoffrey Todd West, 50, was put to death at William C. Holman Correctional Facility using nitrogen gas, a method introduced by Alabama last year. This was one of two executions carried out across the country that night, with Texas also executing a man convicted of killing his girlfriend's 13-month-old daughter.

West was found guilty of capital murder in the 1997 killing of Margaret Parrish Berry, who was 33 at the time. When asked by the warden if he had any final words, West simply replied. "No, sir". Strapped to the gurney and wearing a blue-rimmed gas mask, he gave a thumbs-up towards his lawyer as the execution commenced around 5.56pm.

During the first two minutes, West's eyes remained open as he appeared to gasp and fight for air. His head shifted from side to side, his left fist tightened, and there seemed to be slight foaming at the mouth.

Around 6.01pm, he began drawing long breaths with extended pauses in between, before becoming motionless at approximately 6.07pm. He was declared dead at 6.22pm.

In a final statement given by his lawyer, West said: "I have apologised privately to the family of Margaret Parrish Berry, and am humbled by the forgiveness her son, Will, has extended."

He added that he had been baptised in the Catholic Church this year and was "at peace because I know where I am going".

Berry, a mother of two lads, was shot in the back of her head while lying on the floor behind the counter at Harold's Chevron in Etowah County on March 28, 1997.

Prosecutors claimed she was executed to ensure there were no witnesses. Court documents reveal that £250 was stolen from a biscuit tin containing the station's takings. A jury voted 10-2 in favour of recommending a death sentence.

In an interview last week, West didn't deny killing Margaret Berry. Now aged 50, he struggles to understand his actions as a younger man.

He and his girlfriend, desperate for cash, targeted the petrol station where he once worked for a robbery. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't regret it and wish that I could take that back," West admitted to AP over the phone.

He expressed his wish for Berry's family to know he regrets what happened. Will Berry pleaded with Alabama's governor to commute West's sentence to life imprisonment.

He argued that taking another life won't help his family. He exchanged letters with West prior to the execution. "I forgive him and so does my dad. We don't want him to die," Berry stated.

He was just 11 when his mum was murdered, and he recalls prosecutors encouraging the family to support a death sentence.

Now a father and grandfather himself, Berry says time and faith have given him a different perspective. In a letter dated 11 September to Berry, Governor Ivey stated her intention to proceed with the execution.

She acknowledged his beliefs but asserted that it was her duty to uphold Alabama law.

She said: "Almost 30 years ago, Margaret Parrish Berry went to work at the convenience store, but she would never get to return home. Geoffrey West went in with the intent to rob and kill, and he cowardly shot Ms. Berry in the back of the head.

"Tonight, the lawfully imposed death sentence has been carried out, justice has been served, and I pray for healing for all."

Berry also issued a statement on Thursday, expressing shock at the execution and extending his sympathies to West's family.

He said: "From what we understand, he acted out of character that night. People he grew up with said he was a good person who got off track. We pray that he gains peace when he meets his maker."

Berry and West had requested a meeting before the execution, but this was denied by the Alabama Department of Corrections due to security regulations.

The Federal Defenders Office of the Middle District, which represented West, described the denial of the meeting as a "lost opportunity - for closure, for healing, for humanity.

His lawyers said: "The execution of Mr. West demands that we reflect as a society: on how we handle capital punishment, on how age and life circumstances are considered, on how we balance justice, mercy, and the possibility of redemption."

The technique employed to end West's life involved fitting a gas mask over his face and forcing him to breathe pure nitrogen gas, thereby starving him of the oxygen required for survival.

When asked about West's movements during the execution, Corrections Commissioner John Hamm said that he believes they were largely involuntary and everything proceeded "just as expected, according to protocol".

In 2024, Alabama became the first state to conduct an execution using nitrogen gas. Nationwide, this approach has now been employed in seven executions: six occasions in Alabama and once in Louisiana.