Saturday, March 12, 2005

GEORGIA LAST MEAL
STEPHEN MOBLEY
March 1, 2005

...today's theme: domino's...

Last Meal: Mobley ate most of his requested meal: a steak, fries, a pint of butter pecan ice cream, a pint of chocolate chip ice cream and two soft drinks.

The skinny: Mobley was sentenced to death for the 1991 shooting death of a 24-year-old college student working as a night manger at a Domino's Pizza. Mobley shot the victim in the back of his head during an armed robbery. He then robbed at gunpoint six more restaurants and dry cleaners during a three-week period.

Prior to the murder, Mobley had been convicted of at least seven other crimes, including credit card theft and burglary, that were committed between 1983 and 1986, prison records show.

More skinny: Upon arrest, Mobley made statements to the police confessing to the murder and the robbery of the pizza store. Following his incarceration, Mobley bragged about the murder and placed a Domino’s pizza box in his cell on the wall, and carried a domino piece in his pocket.

Legal notes: Unlike most inmates on death row who are indigent, Mobley's family was able to hire private attorneys to fight his execution. Mobley was represented by a former state Attorney General and a former DeKalb County District Attorney.

Last words and such: About a half hour before the execution, six guards led Mobley into the chamber and strapped him down. He was animated, smiling and laughing and talking with the warden. He chatted also as two nurses inserted the needles into his arm, and followed the procedure very closely. One of two friends who were among the witnesses waved to Mobley, and he smiled. He mouthed the words "thank you."

Mobley issued a lengthy final statement just before he was executed. "I would be remiss not to also acknowledge and make amends to my family and my friends. They know who they are. There are those that say I am a bigger person than I used to be, and I appreciate that. The opportunity I have been given, I atone for what sins I committed." He was asked if he wanted a last prayer. "Absolutely," he said. After the prayer, the fatal chemicals were injected and Mobley died.

Factoids: The victim's mother, had asked the state parole board to spare Mobley's life. She said through her son-in-law that no measure of satisfaction or closure would come to the family as a result of Mobley's execution.

Mobley's alleged lack of remorse and behavior in jail while awaiting trial for Collins' killing may have played a role in his execution, his lawyers said. Testimony during his trial indicated that Mobley had "Domino" tattooed on his back, hung a Domino's Pizza box in his cell and twice forcibly sodomized his cellmate.

His lawyer claims he has personally confirmed that Mobley has no tattoo that reads "Domino." The Department of Corrections confirmed that such a tattoo does not appear on Mobley's body.

Mobley was the....

6th murderer executed in U.S. in 2005
950th murderer executed in U.S. since 1976
2nd murderer executed in Georgia in 2005
38th murderer executed in Georgia since 1976