Transcript of Alpha Otis Stephens' 1984 Execution

— -- The state of Georgia recorded all its executions since the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty. Following is a transcript of Alpha Otis Stephens' Dec. 12, 1984 execution. Stephens was still breathing after the first jolt of electricity, so prison officials had to initiate a second electrocution. He was declared dead 19 minutes after the first surge of electricity hit his body. He had been sentenced to death for a murder committed during a 1974 burglary.

Commissioner: "There's no reason to delay."

Warden: "Very well. On my count of three, press the button. One, two, three."

Marable: "The execution now has begun. There was one small jerk from the condemned at the time the execution was initiated. He is sitting very still now, and we are entering the second phase of the execution."

Marable: "We're now entering the third phase of the execution. No movement from the condemned. No activity and no movement from the witnesses."

Marable: "He appears to be relaxing a little bit more now. There's sixty seconds remaining on the third phase of the execution. There's a slight movement from the condemned's head — he seems to be moving his head from side to side slightly."

Warden: "I show the time at 12:19."

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Marable: "Commissioner, he is still moving his head, and he seems to have slumped down in a relaxing type of position in the chair. But his head is moving from side to side slightly."

Marable: "Commissioner, Mr. (Long?), the execution is completed at this time. The electrical panel box is secured and locked. I do not detect any movement from the condemned at this time. He seems to have stopped moving his head and also his arms."

Voice 1: "I show the time at 12:20."

Commissioner: "You're in the (lapse?) time countdown, is that correct?"

Marable: "Yes sir. We're into the first minute of the lapse time now. No movement from any of the witnesses at this time, and no movement from the condemned. We have now completed one minute of lapse time, four minutes remaining. Two minutes of laps time completed at this time, three minutes remaining."