More than two decades after two Georgia real estate agents were killed while working at a suburban housing development, the case against Stacey Ian Humphreys has reached another important moment.
Humphreys, now 53, remains on Georgia’s death row and is scheduled to be executed on September 16, 2026, unless the courts or state officials intervene. His case has continued through years of appeals, and his attorneys are making another effort to challenge the death sentence just days before the scheduled execution.
At the same time, Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles is preparing to consider whether Humphreys should receive clemency.
The developments mark the latest chapter in a legal case that began with the deaths of Lori Brown, 21, and Cynthia “Cyndi” Williams, 33, in November 2003.
The case began at a model-home office
Brown and Williams were working at a model-home sales office in the Oakwind subdivision in Powder Springs, Georgia, on November 3, 2003.
According to prosecutors, Humphreys entered the office that afternoon during an attempted robbery. Brown and Williams were both inside when the incident unfolded.
Investigators later connected Humphreys to the killings through evidence recovered during the investigation. Prosecutors said he took the women’s bank cards and later used them to withdraw thousands of dollars.
Humphreys left Georgia after the killings, but his freedom did not last long.
Five days later, on November 8, authorities arrested him in Wisconsin following a high-speed pursuit.
A Ruger 9mm handgun was recovered from a rental Jeep Grand Cherokee, and prosecutors presented forensic evidence connecting the weapon and vehicles to the victims.
The case would eventually become a death-penalty prosecution, but it would take several more years before Humphreys faced a jury.
A conviction came years later
Humphreys went to trial in 2007.
A jury found him guilty of two counts of malice murder and other charges connected to the deaths of Brown and Williams. He also pleaded guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
After hearing evidence during the sentencing phase, jurors recommended the death penalty.
The court imposed death sentences for both murders.
Humphreys then began a lengthy series of appeals.
The Georgia Supreme Court upheld his convictions and death sentences in 2010. The U.S. Supreme Court later declined to review the case.
His attorneys continued pursuing state and federal habeas proceedings, challenging various aspects of his conviction and sentence.
Those efforts continued for years, with the Georgia Attorney General’s Office reporting that his state habeas appeal was denied in 2017 and the U.S. Supreme Court declined further review in 2018. His federal litigation continued afterward, eventually reaching additional decisions in the federal courts.
The legal process stretched across more than a decade.
Then, in 2025, Georgia began preparing to carry out the sentence.
The execution date has already changed once
Humphreys was previously scheduled for execution in December 2025.
That execution did not take place after his attorneys pursued additional legal challenges.
The state later established another execution window in 2026.
Georgia officials selected September 16, 2026, as the new execution date, with the scheduled time set for 7 p.m. at the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison in Jackson.
With the date approaching, Humphreys’ attorneys have once again asked the courts to examine the circumstances surrounding his original trial.
This time, their argument centers in part on the conduct of a juror.
A new challenge focuses on the jury
Defense attorneys recently argued that a juror in Humphreys’ 2007 trial failed to disclose important information during jury selection and later behaved improperly during deliberations.
According to reporting from FOX 5 Atlanta, the defense alleges that the juror did not disclose being a sexual assault survivor when questioned during jury selection.
The defense further argues that the juror later pushed strongly for a death sentence during deliberations.
Attorneys for the state have disputed the allegations and argued that the claims do not provide a sufficient basis to overturn the sentence.
Prosecutors also pointed to the fact that similar issues have been considered during earlier stages of Humphreys’ appeals.
The dispute is particularly significant because it focuses on the sentencing process rather than simply reopening the question of whether Humphreys was responsible for the murders.
That distinction could become important as the courts consider the latest request.
Clemency is another possibility
The courts are not the only place where Humphreys’ fate could change.
The Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles has scheduled a special meeting for September 15, one day before the planned execution.
The meeting is specifically intended to consider information for or against clemency in Humphreys’ case.
The board has the authority to grant clemency in Georgia death-penalty cases.
If clemency were granted, the scheduled execution would not proceed as planned.
If it is denied and the courts do not intervene, the state could move forward with the execution on September 16.
That leaves Humphreys’ case at a particularly important point after years of litigation.
Remembering Lori Brown and Cyndi Williams
While the legal proceedings have focused heavily on Humphreys, the case continues to have a deeply personal meaning for the families of the two women.
Lori Brown was only 21 years old when she died.
She had been working in real estate and was looking toward the future. According to accounts from her family, she was also planning her wedding to her high school sweetheart.
Her mother, Linda Brown, has spent the years since her daughter’s death remembering the life Lori never had the opportunity to experience.
Linda has also continued working in real estate, using her experience to advocate for greater safety among agents who meet prospective clients.
The circumstances surrounding Lori’s death changed the way her mother approaches the profession.
She has spoken about being more aware of where she stands inside properties and avoiding situations where she could become isolated or trapped.
For her, remembering Lori has become closely connected to helping other real estate professionals stay safe.
Cyndi Williams was 33 when she was killed.
More than 20 years later, her name remains part of the case that brought renewed attention to workplace safety for real estate agents and to the long-running debate surrounding capital punishment.
A case approaching another decision
The upcoming days could determine what happens next for Humphreys.
His attorneys are continuing to challenge the death sentence.
The state maintains that the conviction and sentence should remain in place.
The Board of Pardons and Paroles will consider clemency on September 15.
And unless something changes, Georgia has scheduled Humphreys’ execution for the following evening.
After nearly 23 years, the case has reached a point where the next major development could come very soon.
For the families of Lori Brown and Cyndi Williams, the passage of time has not erased the loss.
For the legal system, the case is now focused on whether the sentence imposed after Humphreys’ 2007 conviction will ultimately be carried out.
And for Humphreys, the next few days could determine whether the long-running appeals process finally comes to an end — or whether another chapter is added to a case that has remained in Georgia’s courts for more than two decades.
For now, the scheduled September 16 execution remains in place, while the legal and clemency processes continue.
The next major developments are expected to come on September 15 and September 16, when Georgia’s clemency process and the scheduled execution reach their critical dates.