Son of woman killed in 1997 gas-station robbery pleads for clemency as Alabama readies execution
Will Berry asks Gov. Kay Ivey to spare Geoffrey Todd West, who killed his mother decades ago and is slated for execution by nitrogen hypoxia.
An Alabama death-row inmate is set to be executed by nitrogen hypoxia later this week, and the man who lost his mother to the 1997 gas-station robbery is asking the state to spare him. Geoffrey Todd West, then 21 years old, was convicted of capital murder in the Etowah County case that left Margaret Parrish Berry, 33, dead behind the checkout counter on March 28, 1997. The crime occurred during a solo shift at the gas station; there were no witnesses to the fatal shooting, and the burglar took $250 from a nearby cookie jar where the store’s money was kept. West was eventually arrested and given the death penalty in 1999, a sentence the trial judge acknowledged was difficult to impose given the defendant’s age at the time of the crime.
Will Berry, who was 11 when his mother was killed, has become the public voice of a plea for mercy. He says he forgives the man who killed his mother and has repeatedly urged Alabama officials to halt the execution. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t regret it and wish that I could take that back,” he said of his mother’s murder. “I wish I had the opportunity just to swap places and let it be me and not her.” Berry has met with his wife, Courtney, and his church community for support as he confronts a case that has defined his family’s life for nearly three decades.
West, now 50, is scheduled to die in the coming days by nitrogen hypoxia. He has acknowledged the killing, and his trial record notes the difficulty a jury faced in sentencing a man who was 21 at the time of the crime. He has spent more than a quarter-century on death row, and his case has drawn attention to Alabama’s use of the death penalty and the processes surrounding clemency and commutation.
Will Berry has pressed Gov. Kay Ivey to intervene. He wrote to the governor detailing how continuing the cycle of death would affect him and his family, and he urged Ivey to consider healing over vengeance. He has asked for a personal meeting with West, whose request to meet in person with Berry and his family was denied by the state prison system on security grounds. Ivey has repeatedly defended her stance on the death penalty, saying Alabama law imposes the ultimate punishment for the most egregious murders and that she cannot act outside those laws, even in cases that weigh heavily on her personally. In a statement, Attorney General Steve Marshall echoed that stance, saying West’s death sentence has stood for 26 years and is due.
“I forgive this guy, and I don’t want him to die. I don’t want the state to take revenge in my name or my family’s name for my mother,” Will Berry said. He described his life since the murder as shaped by loss and a long process of seeking forgiveness, noting the supportive role of his wife and church community. He has urged policymakers to consider alternatives to execution and to allow space for healing rather than punitive acts that would not bring back his mother.
The governor’s office has emphasized the duty to uphold Alabama law, including the death sentence for the most egregious forms of murder. The West case has resurfaced questions about clemency and the potential for mercy in capital punishment cases, even as the state maintains that the law requires the punishment. West’s counsel and supporters have highlighted places where clemency has been granted in Alabama, though such actions are relatively rare and typically hinge on questions about guilt, mental health, or procedural issues. They argue that mercy can be a broader, more healing path for families like the Berrys and for communities still coping with the sting of the crime.
As the execution date approaches, the family at the center of the case remains divided over whether more punishment will truly honor the memory of Margaret Berry. The case continues to be a focal point in ongoing debates about the morality, effectiveness, and application of the death penalty in Alabama and across the United States. In interviews and public statements, Will Berry has underscored a message of forgiveness and moving forward, a sentiment he hopes might influence conversations about justice, mercy, and what comes after the worst of crimes. Patients and practitioners alike watch to see how Alabama reconciles the need for accountability with the potential for reconciliation and healing in the wake of tragedy.
