• James Osgood executed in Alabama after admitting guilt in the 2010 murder of Tracy Lynn Brown.
• He dropped his appeals, stating he wanted to expedite the process and apologized for his actions.
• The execution marked the second in Alabama this year and the 14th nationwide.
• Osgood's final words included an apology to the victim's family, acknowledging his guilt.

An Alabama man, James Osgood, was executed on Thursday evening after voluntarily dropping his appeals, stating he was guilty of the 2010 rape and murder of Tracy Lynn Brown. Osgood, 55, received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead shortly after 6:35 p.m. CDT at the William Holman Correctional Facility. His actions on the night of Brown's death were particularly heinous; he and his girlfriend sexually assaulted Brown before Osgood cut her throat, leading a jury to convict him of capital murder in 2014, according to Indiatimes and CBS News.

In his final moments, Osgood expressed regret for his crime. "I haven't said her name since that day. Tracy, I apologize," he stated just before the execution began, highlighting his recognition of the pain his actions caused to the victim's family. He had previously conveyed to reporters that he dropped his appeals because he found prolonging the process to be a waste of time and resources, emphasizing his belief in an "eye for an eye" mentality, according to Newsweek and CBS News.

The details of Osgood's crime are particularly gruesome; prosecutors revealed that he and his girlfriend, who was also Brown's cousin, had forced the victim to perform sexual acts while threatening her with a firearm before taking her life. Following his conviction, Osgood was initially sentenced to death, but appeals led to a resentencing in 2018, where he again requested execution to spare the victim's family further distress of hearings, as reported by CBS News and Indiatimes.

At his execution, Osgood became the 14th inmate to be executed in the U.S. in 2023, and the second in Alabama for the year. His execution also raised discussions about the use of the death penalty in the U.S., especially given the high rates of those who volunteer for execution, often carrying histories of mental illness or substance abuse. Supporters argue it serves as a necessary punishment for the worst crimes, whereas opponents highlight the moral implications and risks of wrongful convictions. Osgood's case encapsulates ongoing debates surrounding capital punishment in America, according to Newsweek and Indiatimes.