Where Is James Ray Ward Now? Nikia Gilbreath Murder Case and Dateline
A Walker County jury sentenced James to death in July 1991 after convicting him of feticide, murder, and kidnapping with bodily damage. After the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the convictions and the sentence in June 1992, his request for review was denied in July 1992.
James’ multiple applications and habeas corpus motions were repeatedly rejected, which resulted in him spending over 20 years on death row. In January 2010, three judges from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the jury’s decision to execute him due to a miscommunication between the bailiff and the jurors.
The Court did, however, uphold the convictions for the alleged murder, kidnapping, and feticide. Linda was upset as she declared, “If that does not call for the death penalty, no case I’ve ever heard of does,” as the possibility of her 5-month-old daughter’s killer receiving the death penalty was doubted. He must continue to be executed.
In November 2011, James Ward was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to official records, he is being held at the Macon State Prison in Macon County, Georgia.
