JUST IN: Geoffrey Todd West Executed in Alabama – Murder of a Woman | Final Meal & Last Words
This man was just executed in Alabama for a crime he committed in 1997 when he was only 21 years old. Today, at 50, and after decades of appeals, he was executed on September 25th at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama, using the controversial nitrogen hypoxia method. Stay tuned in this video to learn his story and his last words before dying.
The Night of the Crime
On the night of March 27th, 1997, stretching into the early hours of the 28th, Jeffrey Todd West drove to Harold’s Chevron gas station, accompanied by his 17-year-old girlfriend, Amy Pierce. He knew the place well, having previously worked at the convenience store, which gave him an advantage in planning the robbery. According to court records, West had told others of his intention to rob the Chevron and leave no witnesses, even saying he would kill anyone he found there.
The victim was Margaret Barry, a 33-year-old mother of two who had only been working at the gas station for a few days when the tragedy occurred. West entered armed with a .45 caliber pistol and forced Barry to hand over the money—about $250 kept in a cookie tin behind the counter. Moments later, Barry was forced to lie on the floor and was shot in the back of the head while lying face down, causing nearly instantaneous death.
The Investigation and Arrest
The police investigation began just hours after the body was discovered. Investigators had a starting point when Donna Mitchell, a gas station employee, reported seeing Jeffrey West and Scott Huey in the store within 24 to 48 hours before the robbery. This testimony was crucial in directing the investigation toward West.
Amy Pierce, West’s 17-year-old girlfriend at the time, became a key witness for the prosecution. Initially arrested as an accomplice, she agreed to testify against him in exchange for a reduced sentence of 35 years in prison. During the investigation, letters West had sent her from prison were uncovered, many with sections erased by Pierce, which were later recovered by forensic experts.
Trial and Sentencing
Jeffrey Todd West’s trial began on June 1st, 1999, in the Etowah County Circuit Court. He had court-appointed attorneys, and the prosecution presented a strong case based on the autopsy, Pierce’s testimony, and the analysis of West’s letters. In a controversial decision, the court ordered West to wear an electric shock belt throughout the trial, delivering shocks of over 50,000 volts in each test in front of him.
On June 1st, 1999, West was found guilty of capital murder during a robbery. His attorneys did not present witnesses or mitigating evidence, and the jury voted 10-to-2 in favor of the death penalty. On July 7th, 1999, Judge William Cardwell formally sentenced West to death, acknowledging the difficulty of ordering the execution of such a young man, but noting that the murder had been clearly deliberate and intentional, executed in an execution-style manner.
Time on Death Row and the Victim’s Family
West spent more than 26 years on Alabama’s death row. In a phone interview before his scheduled execution, he expressed remorse: “Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could change what I did. I replay that day in my head, wishing I had turned around and walked away. I wish I could switch places so it would be me, not her.”
Will Barry, the victim’s son, who was 11 when his mother was killed, publicly opposed Jeffrey Todd West’s execution. He argued that the death penalty would not bring back his mother and would only increase his family’s pain. Over time, through his faith, he said he found a new perspective and even forgave West. Barry sent letters to Governor Kay Ivey and participated in vigils against the death penalty, requesting that the sentence be commuted to life imprisonment. However, Governor Ivey responded that Alabama law mandates the death penalty for the most heinous crimes.
The Execution by Nitrogen Hypoxia
In 2018, when Alabama allowed death row inmates to choose their method of execution, Jeffrey Todd West opted for the controversial nitrogen hypoxia. At that time, the state had not yet developed a protocol for its application, and it was uncertain whether experts would consider this method one of the most painful and torturous.
In January 2024, Alabama carried out the first execution by this method with Kenneth Eugene Smith. During the procedure, Smith visibly struggled to breathe for several minutes, which was widely criticized as a form of torture. Since then, the number of inmates choosing nitrogen hypoxia has decreased significantly.
Finally, Jeffrey Todd West was executed on September 25th at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. He was 50 years old at the time of his death.
West was strapped to a gurney with restraints on his chest, wrists, and legs. A clear gas mask with blue edges covering his entire face was placed on him, connected to a hose supplying pure nitrogen. The gas replaced breathable oxygen, causing death by asphyxiation. Although authorities claimed the method would cause unconsciousness within seconds, West convulsed and shook violently for four minutes before being pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m., becoming the fifth person to die by this method since Alabama implemented it in 2024.
Final Hours, Last Meal, and Last Words
The day before his death, he received visits from eight family members who spent his final hours with him. For his last meal, the prison granted him $20 to spend on a special request, and West chose chicken quesadillas.
When the moment arrived, the prison warden asked if he had any last words. West simply replied, “No, sir.”
Strapped to the gurney with a blue-rimmed gas mask covering his face, he gave a thumbs-up gesture toward his attorney. The execution began at 5:56 p.m. Witnesses reported that West kept his eyes open, swallowing hard and struggling to breathe during the first few minutes. His head rocked from side to side, his left fist clenched, and he appeared to foam slightly at the mouth. At 6:01 p.m., he began breathing slowly with long pauses until he became motionless shortly after 6:07 p.m. Finally, he was pronounced dead at 6:22 p.m.
In a final statement released through his attorney, West said, “I privately apologized to the family of Margaret Parish Barry, and I am honored by the forgiveness given to me by her son, Will.” He also added that earlier this year, he was baptized in the Catholic Church, and that he was at peace because he knew where he was going.
Other Executions
The next scheduled execution in the United States will take place on September 30th in Florida, where 29-year-old Victor Tony Jones is set to face the death penalty for committing a double murder during a robbery in Miami.
At the exact same time that Jeffrey Todd West was executed in Alabama, another execution was taking place in Texas. Blaine Keith Milam was executed for the murder of a 13-month-old baby. You can watch that video by clicking the image on screen. Thank you for watching.
