ATLANTA — The Supreme Court of Georgia has decided to dissolve the stay of execution for an inmate who is on death row.
Ray Cromartie was scheduled to be put to death Wednesday night for the 1994 murder of a convenience store clerk. But just hours before the convicted murderer was to be put to death, the state's top court temporarily halted the execution.
It was a surprise to his family.
"We don't know how long Ray has a stay. But everyday makes a difference," his brother, Anthoney Cromartie, told 11Alive.
Now, the day following that life-saving move, the Supreme Court has dissolved that stay.
A spokesperson for the Court said they did so following the briefs they received from each party, in which the parties agreed that the current execution order was void because it was entered by the trial court while the Supreme Court had jurisdiction over the case.
This, however, doesn't mean Cromartie's execution is back on. This means the process has to start again.
Meanwhile, the family is fighting for DNA testing to be allowed in the case. Ray Cromartie has long admitted he was at the Thomasville convenience store that night, but he insists he didn't pull the trigger. His two accomplices, who both testified against him, are both out of jail.
His family and lawyers believe DNA testing will prove he wasn't the shooter. A state judge denied the request for testing last month, saying Ray Cromartie waited too long.
Now that both the prosecution and defense have agreed to restart the process in a lower court, they will have to work their way back up to the Department of Corrections.