Ricky Javon Gray, the man who killed the Harvey family, was scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday at the Richmond Circuit Court. The said hearing will discuss the date to when Gray will be executed.
According to the Daily progress, it was New Year 2006, the Harvey family was preparing for a holiday chili dinner when Gray and his friend Dandridge murdered Bryan and Kathryn including their 9-year old daughter Stella and 4-year old daughter Ruby. They were found in the basement with multiple stabs and tale tell signs that they were beaten to death.
The two suspects went under trial and was found guilty. Gray was sentenced to death while Dandridge was sentenced to life in prison according to Richmond.
As reported by WTVR, in his appeal last November, Gray claimed that his lawyers didn't perform their duty constitutionally and within acceptable standards but a split three-judge panel of the Richmond-base 4th Circuit upheld a lower court ruling rejecting the suspects claims and just last month, the court of appeals declined Grays request for a re-hearing of his appeal. Despite a request for a motion to reconsider by Gray's legal council, the court of appeals still stays with the decision while they wait for the Supreme Court to take up his appeal.
Attorney General's Office spokesperson, Michael Kelly stated that things may not be clear as of the moment until Tuesday morning because Monday will be a holiday. The Virginia Department of Corrections was still to issue a statement on whether the state has an adequate supply of drugs required to conduct the upcoming execution.
Death row inmates in Virginia are given a choice between death by electric chair or by lethal injection. If the hearing will push through this coming Tuesday, then the scheduled execution will be sixty days after.
