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By Lance Griffin

Published: May 13, 2009

Pat Jones is anticipating another call from the Attorney General’s office Thursday.

It’s been that way for much of the past 19 years after Willie McNair murdered her mother. Since then, Jones has answered scores of calls from the Attorney General, alerting Jones of upcoming trials, new appeals, new bills in the Legislature, and new execution dates. The result has been a consistent drip-drip-drip of news that has forced Jones to keep her mother’s murder fresh in her mind.

“No family should have to go through this,” Jones said. “It’s been a constant battle through the years.”

But Thursday may be the final phone call Jones anticipates receiving. Barring a last-minute stay, Jones will receive a call from the Attorney General telling her the execution of Willie McNair will go on as scheduled.

The Alabama Supreme Court denied an appeal from McNair on Wednesday. His attorney said he plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The execution is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. at Holman Prison in Atmore.

McNair, 44, began visits with family and friends on Monday. His mother, Annie Glanton, and two sisters were among visitors Wednesday, Department of Corrections spokesman Brian Corbett told the Associated Press.

Jones plans to witness the execution, along with her five brothers. A bill recently passed by the Alabama Legislature increases the number of family members allowed to view an execution to six. Gov. Bob Riley plans to sign the bill into law Thursday at the beginning of the Legislative session.

“I feel better now than I first did Friday when I learned that he had filed an appeal, but there are still a lot of mixed emotions,” Jones said. “I will be relieved when this is all over because it will be one battle I won’t have to fight again.

“This should not happen … all of these appeals … it shouldn’t take this long,” Jones said.

Jurors in McNair’s first trial recommended death on a 10-2 vote, but an appeals court required a resentencing and a Montgomery County jury voted 8-4 for life without parole.

In a bid to block the execution, McNair’s attorneys from the Montgomery-based Equal Justice Initiative contended McNair had ineffective counsel at his resentencing hearing because his attorneys failed to present expert testimony on the effects of cocaine use. They also contended the judge should have accepted the jury’s life-without-parole verdict, saying jurors had “strong factual basis” for their decision.

State prosecutors responded that, under state law, the judge was not bound by that jury’s advisory penalty and a death sentence was proper because Riley was killed during a robbery. The state also contends the issue of ineffective counsel had been settled on appeal in a ruling that went against McNair.
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