Cobb Judge Halts Scheduled Execution–For Now: Stacey Humphreys Was Convicted Of Murdering Two Real Estate Agents In 2003; Death Sentence Could Be Quickly Re-Instated By State Supreme Court

A Cobb County Superior Court judge issued an 11th-hour stay of execution on Wednesday, halting the scheduled lethal injection of Stacey Humphreys just hours before he was set to die.

Humphreys, 53, was slated to be executed at 7:00 PM EDT on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson. He was convicted and sentenced to death for the brutal 2003 murders of two Cobb County real estate agents.

A Sudden Legal Shift

The sudden halt came from Cobb County Superior Court Judge Tyler Browning, who granted the temporary stay to allow a formal hearing under Georgia’s newly enacted Survivor Justice Act. The statute provides a legal pathway for the resentencing of inmates if a capital crime can be demonstrably linked to a history of severe childhood or domestic abuse.

Humphreys’ defense attorneys filed the emergency motion earlier this week, presenting extensive medical and psychological evaluations detailing catastrophic abuse Humphreys suffered during his childhood. Judge Browning ruled that the defense had met the threshold required to halt the execution until a thorough evidentiary hearing could take place under the new law.

The judicial intervention follows a decision by the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles on Tuesday to deny Humphreys’ request for executive clemency.

The 2003 Model Home Murders

The state’s case against Humphreys dates back to November 2003, a crime that deeply shocked the metro Atlanta community. According to prosecutors, Humphreys entered a model home in Cobb County, where he held real estate agents Cyndi Williams and Lori Brown at gunpoint.

Evidence presented at trial showed that Humphreys forced both women to strip and surrender their bank PINs before shooting them execution-style. Following a highly publicized trial, a jury found Humphreys guilty of malice murder, armed robbery, and kidnapping. He was sentenced to death in 2007.

What Happens Next

The stay of execution represents a significant legal hurdle for state prosecutors, who argue that Humphreys has exhausted his standard appeals over the past two decades. Representatives for the state Attorney General’s office announced they are filing an emergency appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court in an effort to vacate the judge’s stay.

If the high court overrules Judge Browning’s decision before the expiration of the state’s daily execution warrant, the execution could still proceed later tonight. If the stay is upheld, Humphreys will remain on death row pending the outcome of the Survivor Justice Act hearing.