Alabama gov: Execution set despite wishes of victim’s family

By KIM CHANDLER
Associated Press

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey says the state will proceed with plans to execute a man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend decades ago, despite a request from the victim’s family to spare the inmate’s life. Ivey told reporters Wednesday that she has no plans to call off Thursday evening’s scheduled lethal injection of Joe Nathan James Jr. The inmate was convicted and sentenced to die for the 1994 shooting death of Faith Hall in Birmingham. Hall’s daughters, who were just 3 and 6 when their mother was killed _ along with Hall’s brother _ had urged that the sentence be changed to life in prison.