A Paulding County judge has set an execution date for a man condemned to die for killing a mother and her 3-year-old daughter.
Nicholas Cody Tate is to be executed by lethal injection between Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, according to an order signed Thursday by Chief Superior Court Judge Tonny Beavers. The Department of Corrections will set the actual time and date of Tate's execution.
Tate was condemned to die for killing Chrissie Williams, who was found bound to a bed with handcuffs and duct tape and had been shot in the head. Her daughter, Katelyn, was found on the floor of another room, and her throat had been slit. The crimes occurred Dec. 11, 2001.
Tate's case is highly unusual. He has not challenged his conviction and sentence through a petition of habeas corpus, which is routine in most all death-penalty appeals.
Tate pleaded guilty to the murders in 2005 and waived a trial by jury. After a sentencing hearing, the trial judge then sentenced Tate to death.
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