Two convicted killers were executed in Alabama and Texas just minutes apart Thursday, with one leaving behind a legacy of forgiveness and the other defined by brutality. The back-to-back deaths highlighted two sharply contrasting narratives of crime, punishment, and human response.
According to the New York Post, 50-year-old Geoffrey Todd West was executed in Alabama using nitrogen hypoxia for the 1999 murder of Margaret Parrish Berry, while 35-year-old Blaine Milam was put to death by lethal injection in Texas for the torture and killing of his girlfriend’s infant daughter. The executions took place within minutes of each other on Thursday night.
Both cases drew national scrutiny, but while West’s story centered on remorse and reconciliation with his victim’s son, Milam’s resembled a macabre tale of violence that ended without grace or redemption. The difference between the executions framed a wider discussion on the role of mercy and vengeance in the U.S. death penalty system.
A plea for mercy denied
West was convicted of shooting Berry, a 33-year-old mother of two, in the head during a gas station robbery he carried out with his girlfriend. He spent more than two decades on death row, openly admitting guilt and forming a bond with Berry’s son, Will, who ultimately forgave him.
In the years leading up to the execution, West and Will exchanged letters, with West repeatedly expressing remorse for the crime. Will later pleaded with Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to commute the death sentence, saying he did not want his mother’s name used to justify the state taking another life.
Despite this, Ivey refused to intervene, stating that she was obligated to enforce Alabama’s capital punishment laws. The appeals for clemency were shut down, and execution plans moved forward without further consideration.
Harsh details of final moments
West showed no final words when given the chance, instead flashing his attorney a thumbs-up before the execution began. A gas mask was fixed over his mouth and nose, and nitrogen was pumped into it, triggering convulsions and labored breathing.
Witnesses reported that within two minutes, West clenched his fist and appeared to foam at the mouth as he struggled for air. His eyes remained open until he was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m., 26 minutes after the process began.
In a final statement via his attorney, he acknowledged the forgiveness Will had given and declared that he was at peace, having converted to Catholicism the previous year. He added that he hoped to “see Mrs. Berry” in the afterlife.
A crime of cruelty in Texas
Just minutes later, Milam was executed at a Texas prison for the 2008 murder of 13-month-old Amora Carson. Prosecutors said Milam, 18 at the time, subjected the toddler to hours of torture as part of a supposed “exorcism.”
The child suffered catastrophic injuries, including broken bones, bite marks, and skull fractures. A pathologist testified that her wounds were so severe and numerous that determining a single cause of death was impossible.
Milam consistently tried to shift responsibility to his girlfriend, the child’s mother, who also stood trial but was spared execution. Prosecutors, however, emphasized his direct role in the killing and his central involvement in the hours-long abuse.
Final words and court delays
Milam addressed witnesses before his execution, delivering a religious farewell. “If any of you would like to see me again, I implore all of you no matter who you are to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and we will meet again,” he said.
The state executed him by lethal injection after his final appeals were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier that day. Milam had previously received stays in 2019 and 2021, but this time the process went forward without delay.
Milam’s execution stirred deep outrage and sorrow, with prosecutors underscoring the extreme brutality of his crime. His final moments stood in stark contrast to West’s quieter exit, marked by remorse rather than denial.
