1. Kelly Gissendaner was put to death by lethal injection early Wednesday morning in Jackson, Ga. Officials confirmed that she took her last breath at 12:21 a.m.

2. Gissendaner was the first woman Georgia has put to death since 1945.

3. Just before execution, she sang "Amazing Grace" and told witnesses, "Bless you all. Tell the Gissendaners I am so, so sorry that an amazing man lost his life because of me. If I could take it all back, I would."

4. Her last meal included cheese dip with chips, Texas nachos with fajita meat and a diet frosted lemonade.

5. The execution proceeded despite a clemency appeal from Pope Francis, appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court and Georgia Supreme Court and a number of prison officials willing to testify on her behalf.

6. Hundreds of family, friends and supporters  protested the execution at Georgia Diagnostic Prison in Jackson.

7. This was Gissendaner's third scheduled execution. The first execution was scheduled for late February, but was delayed because of winter weather. The execution was then rescheduled for March, but was called off because the lethal injection drug was cloudy and its effectiveness questioned.

8. Gissendaner was sentenced to die for the 1997 murder of her husband, Douglas Gissendaner. Although she didn't carry out the crime, she persuaded her lover, Gregory Owen, to do so.

Keep Reading

President Donald Trump speaks ahead of the signing of the Laken Riley Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 29, 2025. (Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Nathan Posner for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Featured

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, accompanied by Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith, provided an update to the press during a media tour at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. They discussed the new Simulation Center, which will enable officers to train for various crime scenarios, including domestic disputes, commercial robberies, and kidnappings. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
(Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC