JACKSON, Mississippi (AP) — The attorney general’s office has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to set an execution date for death row inmate Erik Wayne Hollie.
Hollie was sentenced to death by a Copiah County jury after pleading guilty to capital murder in 2010 in the fatal shooting of Wesson Pawn Shop owner Denmon Ward. Authorities said the 54-year-old Ward was shot to death during a robbery at his shop on Sept. 8, 2009.
The attorney general’s argues in its Jan. 2 motion that time has run out for Hollie, now 29, to file appeals in his case.
On Jan. 6, the Office of the State Capital Defense Counsel, now representing Hollie, asked the Supreme Court to deny the attorney general’s petition. Hollie’s lawyers said state law requires an automatic review of all death sentence cases by the Supreme Court and this hasn’t been done.
Alison Steiner, with the capital defense officer, said the circuit clerk in Copiah County failed to send the case record and transcript to the Supreme Court as required by state law.
Steiner said the Supreme Court should get the transcripts and enter a scheduling order for briefing and possible oral arguments in Hollie’s case.
The Supreme Court has not ruled on the motions.
