Alabama man's execution on hold to assess mental competency

Roberts was convicted of a 1992 murder and sentenced to death, despite the jury's recommendation for life imprisonment. His lawyers and activists argue he suffers from severe mental illness, citing family history and documented psychosis.

Alabama’s next execution is temporarily on pause in order to assess if the inmate in question is mentally competent enough to be put to death.

David Lee Roberts, a now 59-year-old who was convicted of the 1992 murder of Annetra Jones, was set to be executed by nitrogen gas on Aug. 21 as of June 2025.

Marion County Circuit Judge Talmage Lee Carter has temporarily stayed the execution until it can be determined if Roberts' mental state has been “so distorted by a mental illness” to the point where he doesn’t understand what’s happening to him.

“Or similarly put, the issue is whether the petitioner’s concept of reality is so impaired that he cannot grasp the execution’s meaning and the purpose or the link between his crime and its punishment,” Carter wrote in the July 10 order.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in the past that inmates who cannot understand their sentence or the reasons for it cannot be executed.

Opposition to Roberts' execution

Both Roberts’ lawyers and activists — particularly, a website that’s spreading awareness about clemency efforts in relation to his case — argue that Roberts suffers from “hereditable mental illness from both his maternal and paternal ancestors,” namely, schizophrenia.

“These symptoms are not merely intermittent or situational — they are indicative of deep-rooted, hereditary psychiatric conditions that should have been carefully considered during his trial and sentencing – and absolutely warrant consideration now when the State of Alabama is seeking to execute him,” the clemency website states.

Additionally, Department of Corrections health records for Roberts, obtained by activists running the clemency campaign, show a history of psychosis and paranoia. Attorneys defending Roberts have also said in court filings that Roberts regularly hears voices and is delusional.

Amnesty International USA, a human-rights focused activist group, said that though the stay is a positive case development in their view, they want to see his sentence commuted to a life sentence on account of several circumstances surrounding the situation.

"... Roberts’ mental condition is far from the only alarming aspect in his case," said Justin Mazzola, Amnesty International USA's deputy director for research. "He had ineffective legal representation at trial, and the judge imposed the death penalty against the jury decision, a practice now outlawed. We urge Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to commute David Roberts’ death sentence."

The crime

In the 1992 crime, Roberts — who was a guest in the home where Jones was killed — stole money from Jones and then shot her three times in the head while she slept on the couch, according to court documents.

Additionally, after killing her, court documents show he lit the couch and her body on fire, as well as started a fire in a different part of the home.

In 1994, jurors convicted Roberts of capital murder and voted 7-5 to recommend he receive a sentence for life in prison without parole, which — according to the clemency website — several jurors have come forward and confirmed they still believe should be Roberts' sentence.

A judge overruled the recommendation for a life sentence and sentenced Roberts to death. As of 2017, a judge can no longer overrule a jury sentence in a capital case in Alabama.

The next steps

The Alabama Department of Corrections has confirmed that they will not prepare for the execution, as executions cannot proceed in any way until all legal proceedings are completed.

Though there is not a distinct timeline set for the mental evaluation, Carter — the judge who stayed Roberts' execution — said the execution will be paused until the Alabama Department of Mental Health finishes a report on Roberts' mental state.

Carter wrote that he wanted the written report to answer questions such as, "Does Roberts suffer from severe mental illness?" and "Does Roberts have a rational understanding of the State of Alabama's rationale for his execution?"

In the event that Roberts is found to be too mentally ill to proceed with the execution, the July 10 order requests the report to also lay out what the cause is for mental incompetency, as well as options for treatment and the duration of treatment necessary.

Source: montgomeryadvertiser.com, Sarah Clifton, Staff, July 30, 2025

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