Curtis Osborne was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 convicted murderer on death row

Death row

Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...

 in Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

 from Spalding County, Georgia

Spalding County, Georgia

Spalding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created December 20, 1851. As of 2000, the population was 58,417. The 2007 Census Estimate showed a population of 62,826...

. He murdered two people in 1990 to avoid paying a $400 debt. Johnny Mostiler, his court-appointed attorney, allegedly neglected to inform Osborne that the prosecutor had offered him life sentence in exchange for a plea bargain

Plea bargain

A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...

, declaring "The little nigger

Nigger

Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...

 deserves the death penalty." Osborne's case for clemency was championed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 and former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Larry Thompson

Larry Thompson

Larry Dean Thompson is an American lawyer, most notable for his service as deputy Attorney General of the United States under United States President George W. Bush until August 2003...

, who wrote letters to the clemency board pleading for mercy. Former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell

Griffin Bell

Griffin Boyette Bell was an American lawyer and former Attorney General. He served as the nation's 72nd Attorney General during the Jimmy Carter administration...

 also spoke on his behalf. His execution went through despite these appeals.