Execution date set for Columbus strangler

The state of Georgia has set a Dec. 16 execution date for Carlton Gary, the so-called "Columbus stocking strangler" who was convicted of raping and killing three women.

Gary, 59, is to die by lethal injection. He was sentenced to death by a Muscogee County jury in August 1986. The three victims, who were between the ages of 59 and 89, were sexually assaulted and then strangled with their stockings.

The state Board of Pardons and Paroles has set Gary's clemency hearing for Dec. 14. Gary, who has maintained his innocence, was also implicated, but not charged, with the deaths of four other women. The crimes occurred over an eight-month period in the late 1970s.

About the Author

Bill Rankin

Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.