Georgia man convicted in Albany woman's killing to be executed

JACKSON, Ga. (AP) A Georgia man convicted of killing a woman he met in a nightclub is set to be executed.

Marcus Ray Johnson is scheduled to die at 7 p.m. Thursday at the state prison in Jackson. The 50-year-old was convicted in the March 1994 rape and murder of Angela Sizemore in Albany.

Johnson's attorneys argue he shouldn't be executed because doubts remain about his guilt. Prosecutors say there is no doubt Johnson killed Sizemore.

A judge on Wednesday rejected a constitutional challenge to Johnson's sentence and conviction and declined to stop his execution. His lawyers have appealed to the state Supreme Court.

The Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles is the only entity authorized to commute a death sentence. The board held a hearing Wednesday and voted not to grant clemency.