MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) 鈥 An Alabama man is scheduled to be executed Thursday after dropping his appeals, saying he's guilty of raping and murdering a woman in 2010 and he doesn't want to keep 鈥渨asting everybody's time鈥 and money.
James Osgood, 55, will be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. CDT at William Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, joining the approximately one in 10 people on death rows across America who have asked for their own executions.
A jury convicted Osgood of capital murder for the killing of Tracy Lynn Brown in Chilton County. Prosecutors said Osgood cut Brown's throat after he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted her.
Osgood told The Associated Press that he wants to apologize to Brown鈥檚 family and that he dropped his appeals because, 鈥淚 am guilty of murder.鈥 In a letter to his lawyer explaining his decision to seek an execution date, he wrote that he's tired and no longer feels like he's 鈥渆ven existing.鈥
"I鈥檓 a firm believer in, like I said in court, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. I took a life so mine was forfeited. I don鈥檛 believe in sitting here and wasting everybody鈥檚 time and everybody鈥檚 money,鈥 Osgood told the AP.
Brown was found dead in her home on Oct. 23, 2010. Prosecutors said Osgood admitted to police that he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted Brown, forcing her to perform sex acts, after discussing how they had fantasies about kidnapping and torturing someone. Then he cut her throat. His girlfriend, who was Brown鈥檚 cousin, was sentenced to life in prison.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 imagine anyone doing that to someone, even their worst enemy. I don鈥檛 know what kind of mind has that kind of thinking,鈥 Jackie Wileman, Brown鈥檚 stepmother, told the judge at Osgood鈥檚 2014 sentencing hearing.
In handing down the death sentence, the judge noted that Osgood had a difficult childhood that included sexual abuse, abandonment and a suicide attempt. But the judge also said that it was Osgood who cut Brown鈥檚 neck and stabbed her as she begged the couple not to hurt her.
Osgood said last week that he regrets all the 鈥減ain and suffering鈥 he has caused Brown's family, and his own.
鈥淚 would like to say to the victim鈥檚 family, I apologize," Osgood said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not going to ask their forgiveness because I know they can鈥檛 give it." Only God can grant forgiveness, he said.
Osgood's initial death sentence was ruling that jurors were given improper instructions. At his resentencing in 2018, Osgood asked to be executed, saying he didn't want the families to endure another hearing.
The Death Penalty Information Center reported last year that 165 of the peo颅ple executed since a moratorium on the death penalty ended in 1977 鈥 a total that has since grown to more than 1650 people 鈥 asked to be put to death. The center also said that the overwhelming majority of these volunteers had histories of men颅tal ill颅ness, sub颅stance abuse or suicidal ideation.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey made a rare move this year to to another death row inmate, commuting the death sentence of to life in prison. The governor said there were enough questions about his guilt that she could not move forward with his execution. It was the only time Ivey has granted clemency, and the first time any Alabama governor commuted a death sentence since .
