Son of Murdered Woman Asks Alabama to Stop Death Row Execution

Montgomery, Ala. — Will Berry, 33, the son of Margaret Parrish Berry who was killed during a 1997 robbery at a gas station, has asked Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey to halt the scheduled execution of Geoffrey West. West, who is on death row for the murder, is set to be executed by nitrogen gas on Thursday.

Berry and West exchanged letters ahead of the execution. West expressed remorse, and Berry forgave him. They asked to meet, but prison officials declined the request.

Berry also wrote to Ivey asking to stop the execution. In a letter dated Sept. 11, Ivey replied that Alabama law imposes a death sentence for the most egregious form of murder and that it is her duty to carry out the law. Ivey has commuted one death sentence previously, but only because of questions about the person’s guilt.

An Alabama Attorney General’s Office statement described West’s crime as brutal, noting that he killed the victim after she handed over cash. The office said West has been on death row for more than two decades and that his sentence is due.

Berry said the murder derailed his life in many ways, though he has found support from his wife and his church. West said he wants other young people in desperate situations to know they have a choice to walk away.

In the exchange of perspectives, many victims’ families have varied views on the death penalty. Some criticize the decades-long wait for executions and the attention given to the suspect’s suffering, while others oppose the death penalty as a policy. The Associated Press could not locate surviving other members of Margaret Berry’s family. In a separate Alabama case in 2022, some family members of a domestic violence victim urged the governor to spare the man from the death penalty.

The crime: Margaret Berry was murdered March 28, 1997, at Harold’s Chevron in Etowah County, where she was shot while lying on the floor behind the counter. Prosecutors said she was killed to ensure there were no witnesses left behind. West and his girlfriend were desperate for cash and planned the robbery; West later admitted carrying out the attack.

West has been on death row for 26 years, and prosecutors say his sentence is due. Gov. Ivey’s office has defended the governor’s stance, emphasizing the duty to uphold the law.

The case highlights the ongoing debate over the death penalty in Alabama and, more broadly, in U.S. politics, where families of victims hold diverse views and political leaders balance law, mercy, and public safety.