A warrant was signed Wednesday setting the execution of cop killer Gregory Lawler for any time during the seven days starting with Oct. 19.

Lawler was sentenced to die for murdering Atlanta police officer John Sowa and critically wounding his partner, Patricia Cocciolone, on Oct. 12, 1997, moments after the two officers had brought home Lawler’s intoxicated girlfriend.

If Lawler is put to death, he will be the seventh person Georgia has executed this year, more than any other year since capital punishment was reinstated in the mid 1970s.

The Department of Corrections sets the specific date and time that the execution will be carried out. Traditionally, it is set for 7 p.m. on the first day of the seven-day window noted in the execution warrant.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC