Governor Corbett Signs Execution Warrant for Philadelphia Killer

HARRISBURG, Pa., Aug. 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett has signed an execution warrant for Terrance Williams, who was convicted in 1986 of first-degree murder, robbery and conspiracy for the robbing and beating death of Amos Norwood. Williams' sentence was formally imposed on July 1, 1987.

On June 11, 1984, Williams and his co-conspirator, Marc Draper, got into a car driven by Norwood, an acquaintance of Williams. They then directed Norwood to a remote location next to a Philadelphia cemetery.

Williams and Draper forced Norwood to lie on the ground, tied him up and gagged him, then stole his valuables. Williams and Draper repeatedly beat the man with a tire iron and a socket wrench and then drove away in the victim's car. Williams later returned and burned Norwood's body.

Four days later, Norwood's body was discovered by a child walking his dog through the cemetery. Police arrested the two men the following month. Draper pled guilty to second-degree murder and criminal conspiracy and was sentenced to life in prison.

Williams, now 46, is a prisoner at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. His execution has been scheduled for Oct. 3, 2012.

This warrant, signed Wednesday, is Corbett's 16^th execution warrant.

Executions in Pennsylvania are carried out by lethal injection. For more information, visit the Department of Corrections online at www.cor.state.pa.us and select "Death Penalty" from the left-side navigation bar.

Media contact:  Janet Kelley, 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor