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Parole board denies clemency to Paulding County killer

By Bill Rankin
Jan 30, 2012

The Board of Pardons and Paroles on Monday denied clemency to a man who is scheduled to be executed Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Nicholas Cody Tate is to be put to death by lethal injection for the 2001 murders of Chrissie Williams and her 3-year-old daughter Katelyn in their Paulding County home. Tate pleaded guilty to the crimes, forgoing a jury trial, and was then given the death sentence by a judge after a sentencing hearing. Tate never filed his habeas corpus appeals, which are routine in death-penalty cases and would have taken years to be completed.

About the Author

Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.

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