ATLANTA - The state parole board has halted the execution of Alexander Williams, a convicted killer described as so delusional he believes actress Sigourney Weaver is God. <br>
<br>
Spokeswoman Kathy Browning said the parole board said it wanted more time to review Williams' mental state. <br>
<br>
The execution had been scheduled for tonight. Browning said the stay is valid through midnight February 25th, but the board reserves the right to lift it or extend it. <br>
<br>
Williams was 17 years old in 1986 when he raped and murdered 16-year-old Aleta Bunch. He had kidnapped the girl from an Augusta mall where she had gone to buy her mother a birthday gift. <br>
<br>
His attorneys argued he should NOT be executed because he is severely mentally ill, requiring powerful anti-psychotic medication, and because he was a minor when he committed the crime. <br>
<br>
The scheduled execution had prompted an outcry from advocates for the mentally ill and juvenile defendants.
