Alabama Governor Sets Execution Date for Man Convicted in 1998 Killing of Delivery Driver
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has announced that Keith Edmund Gavin, 64, will be put to death by lethal injection for the 1998 killing of delivery driver William Clinton Clayton Jr. The execution is scheduled to take place within a 30-hour time frame beginning at 12 a.m. on July 18 and ending at 6 a.m. on July 19.
Gavin was convicted of capital murder for the shooting death of Clayton, who was killed during an attempted robbery at an ATM in Cherokee County. Clayton was getting money to take to his wife for dinner when Gavin shot him, pushed him into his van, and drove off in the stolen vehicle.
An investigator with the district attorney’s office witnessed the shooting and began pursuing Gavin, who fired at the investigator before fleeing. Gavin was apprehended shortly after, but Clayton succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
Gavin’s conviction marked the second time he was sentenced to prison for murder, as he had previously served 17 years of a 34-year sentence in Illinois before being released on parole.
In addition to Gavin’s execution, Alabama has also scheduled an execution date for Jamie Mills, who was convicted in the 2004 killing of a couple during a robbery. Mills is set to be put to death by lethal injection on May 30.
The announcement of Gavin’s execution date comes a week after the state Supreme Court authorized the execution. Alabama’s primary execution method is lethal injection.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
