A state judge has stayed an upcoming execution in Alabama to evaluate whether the man is too mentally ill to be put to death.

The judge temporarily stayed the Aug. 21 execution of David Lee Roberts until it can be established whether he has a “rational understanding” of what is to happen to him.

“Or similarly put, the issue is whether the petitioner’s concept of reality is so impaired that he cannot grasp the execution’s meaning and the purpose or the link between his crime and its punishment,” Marion County Circuit Judge Talmage Lee Carter wrote in the July 10 order.

Carter said the execution will be on hold until a report from the Alabama Department of Mental Health is finished. It is not immediately clear how long that will take.

Roberts was convicted of killing Annetra Jones in 1992 by shooting her in the head. His execution was scheduled to be carried out by nitrogen gas, a method Alabama began using last year.

Attorneys representing Roberts argue that his death sentence should be suspended due to severe illness. Roberts has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia diagnosis, hears voices and is delusional, they said in a court filing. He also recently attempted to burn tattoos off his arm and leg because he believed they “are trying to control his thoughts,” his lawyers said.

“This evidence demonstrates Mr. Roberts is incompetent to be executed because his delusions prevent him from having a factual or rational understanding of the reason,” they said.

The Alabama attorney general’s office is not appealing the stay. The state asked that the competency evaluation by expedited.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states cannot execute prisoners who are insane and do not understand their impending execution and the reasons for it. However state law does not provide a clear standard on what courts must find in determining someone’s competency to be executed.

In 1992, Roberts, now 59, was a houseguest at Jones’ boyfriend’s home in Marion County. Prosecutors said that on the afternoon of April 22, he came to the home, packed his belongings, stole money and shot Jones three times in the head with a .22 caliber rifle while she slept on the couch. He then set the house on fire after dousing Jones’ body and the floor with a flammable liquid, prosecutors said.

Jurors convicted Roberts of capital murder and voted 7-5 to recommend that he receive life in prison without parole. A judge overrode that and sentenced him to death. Alabama no longer allows judges to override jury sentences in capital cases.

By Issy Ronald, CNN

(CNN) — For all Abdelrahman Elaraby’s success as an athlete, swimming is a passion simultaneously pursued intensely and held at arm’s length.

“You’ll never find me talking about swimming outside the pool,” the 25-year-old Egyptian told CNN Sports.

Few people even knew that he had broken the African record in the men’s 50m butterfly in Monaco in May until the news was shared publicly. When one of his friends checked to make sure he was OK after not hearing from him for a few days, Elaraby simply responded, “‘Yeah man, I just … became the fastest African in history so I feel great.’

“And he was like … ‘How did you not tell anybody?’” Elaraby recalled.

For him, focusing on life outside swimming is just as important as his goals in the sport. There is time for training in the pool and at the gym, “and then outside that we can find some other stuff to do,” he added. “I’m very family-oriented … I read, I journal, I could go crazy if I leave my house without journaling in the morning or praying or reading the Quran.”

Still, even as the fifth fastest man in the world this year over his preferred distance – the 50m butterfly – Elaraby prefers not to think about swimming as a career, wary of the trap he fell into earlier in his life.

From ‘the slowest kid on the team’

It was Elaraby’s mom who first introduced him to swimming as a child in Cairo, searching for any way to tire out her young, chatty, social son who had been diagnosed with ADHD.

“So many people told her: ‘He’s the slowest kid on the team. What are you doing?’” Elaraby said. But she stuck with it and her son improved, drawn to the sport by the friends he found there.

In 2018, he became Egypt’s national champion in the 50m fly and won bronze in the 50m freestyle at the Junior Olympic Games.

Aged 18, he left Egypt on a scholarship for the University of Louisville (Kentucky), competing on the swim team. However, while at Louisville, in March 2022, he attempted to take his own life.

He had lost his passion for swimming and that spiralled into feelings of worthlessness, he said in a 2023 video made by the University of Louisville for Mental Health Awareness Month. He overdosed on medication and was taken to hospital, where he fell into a coma.

When Elaraby recovered, he was transferred to a “mental health hospital,” but even then, his thoughts were on returning to competitive swimming, he said in the video.

In the time since March 2022, Elaraby has spoken of “reclaiming” his life, of finding purpose and fulfillment again. Part of that has involved getting closer to his Muslim faith, he said. Another part has been by reducing the time he spends on his phone, instead using it to try things like learning a musical instrument and “reading more about topics in life,” like the philosophy of Stoicism.

And another is by considering: “Who do I allow in my life?”

“I’m the fastest person to block people now (on social media) … just being part of each other’s life is a great honor,” he told CNN Sports.

Although 2023 was tough and he considered quitting swimming, he threw himself into his training and won the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title in the men’s 50m freestyle.

‘It took away from the love I have for the sport’

In 2023, he left Louisville and swam for the University of Notre Dame, but after graduating, he began working full-time at a non-profit that helps college athletes break into the world of work, giving himself something to focus on beside his training.

“I got so stuck on the idea that I need to win, not because I want to win, I need to win because, if I win, I’m going to make this amount of money; if I win, I’m going to get seen by this amount of investors or sponsors,” he said. “And it took away from the beauty and the love I have for the sport.”

Last year, he was “ready to quit” after failing to qualify for the Egyptian Olympic team. He didn’t have a coach. Notre Dame’s swim team was suspended for a year due to “possible misconduct” and gambling violations and Elaraby says he was not seen as a training priority; he had “every reason” to stop.

Only a passing comment made by an Egyptian entrepreneur while she was interviewing him persuaded Elaraby to continue swimming. “You should go back to swimming, but not because you want to achieve things, it’s because this is what you love,” he recalled her saying.

So he returned to the pool and trained three or four times a week. But without any serious weight training, he went to the World Championships last year in Budapest, Hungary, knowing he was “absolutely out of shape.”

There he finished joint 34th in the 50m butterfly and realized that “being here just for the fun of the sport is not what I wanted. It’s not fulfilling.”

Determined to become a world-class athlete again, Elaraby took it upon himself to buy books about coaching, learned how to coach himself and set up competitions at the end of every month to focus his training blocks.

That approach has paid off, allowing him to break that African 50m fly record and resurrect his goal of qualifying for the Olympics. In a moment of serendipity, Elaraby’s preferred 50m butterfly event, as well as the 50m breaststroke and backstroke, will be included at the 2028 Olympics for the first time in the Games’ history.

This news made Elaraby “so excited,” he said, adding that he believes competing at the Olympics in his preferred event would give him respect that he’s previously been denied.

But, even with such lofty goals, Elaraby’s life remains multifaceted, concentrated as much outside the pool as inside it.

After his suicide attempt, he shared his story in the hope of encouraging others, particularly men, to seek help when they need it. Opening up publicly initially provoked two types of reactions, he said.

“(Some) people were like, ‘Why are you talking about it? This is a very private matter. You should keep it to yourself’ … And then a lot of people were like ‘We feel seen, thank you, you’re so courageous,’” he said.

Speaking so publicly about his mental health and advocating for others to take better care of theirs comes with a complex responsibility. As time went on, Elaraby became wary of people taking his message and using it “to find an excuse not to do things.”

“I don’t want to drown a whole generation while I’m trying to save some people,” he said. “I don’t want to create a world of mentally weak individuals – I’m just trying to allow people to see mental health the right way, just as physical health. I’m not asking people to curl up and cry. I’m just asking people to get help, just like (when) you break an arm.”

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Youth Sports Foster Positive Mental Health

Advisory Board Tackles Most Pressing Needs of Youth Through Sports

FLEMINGTON, NJ, UNITED STATES, July 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ — United Way of Hunterdon County is proud to announce the formation of the nation’s first Youth Mental Health & Sports Advisory Board, a groundbreaking initiative uniting experts, coaches, and youth voices to transform the future of youth well-being through the power of play.

The United in Play initiative, already recognized for eliminating financial barriers and providing free mental health resources to youth and families, now takes a bold step forward. The new advisory board will guide national best practices for integrating mental health support into sports programs across all levels, ensuring all children—regardless of background—can access the benefits of play, growth, and thriving mental health.

“Every child deserves the chance to play, grow, and thrive—on and off the field or court,” said Jennifer Thompson, social worker and CEO of United Way of Hunterdon County. “We are living in the middle of a youth mental health crisis, and it’s time for bold, collective action. By bringing together leading minds in mental health, youth sports, and lived experience, our advisory board will pioneer a new era where coaches are equipped, families are supported, and no child is left behind. We’re not just responding to a crisis—we’re building hope, resilience, and opportunity for every young person in America.”

Key Facts:
* 1 in 5 youth experience a mental health challenge, yet therapy and support remain out of reach for many.
* United in Play partners with recreational and club programs to provide access to sports and equipment for ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) families.
* United Way of Hunterdon County provides trauma-informed training and certification for youth sports coaches. Programs are available in-person and online.

Youth Mental Health & Sports Advisory Board Members include:
* Dr. Marlon Grey, Founder EmpowerU
* George Mercado, HBA Director and Coach
* Cheryl Kuster, Nonprofit Leader & Youth Sports Advocate
* Todd Spidare, Owner Fyzical and Club Pilates
* Eric Eisenhart, Managing Partner, Pro-Activity
* Mathew Walker, Director of Football, DVRR Jr. Terriers, Coach
* Pat Spencer, LCSW, Owner, Getting Your Mind in Gear
* Lacy Phelps, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones
* Kevin Graeves, HBA Coach & Youth Sports Trainer
* Scott Koral, Sports Reporter
* Mitchele Drulis, Owner of Evolution Gym
* Jacque Beason, Parent of Youth Athlete & Retired NFL Cheerleader
* Kelly Denti, Owner, Nex Level Ninja

The new advisory board includes national youth representatives, mental health professionals, sports leaders, and community advocates. Together, they will shape policy, drive awareness, and champion innovative solutions at a national level.

About United Way of Hunterdon County:
United Way of Hunterdon County is dedicated to building thriving communities by advancing financial security, youth opportunities, and health for all. Through United in Play and other programs, the organization leads the way in addressing the urgent needs of today’s families and youth.

For more information, to sign your team or league up for training, partnership opportunities, or to join the movement, visit: https://www.uwhunterdon.org/unitedinplay

Jennifer Thompson
United way
+1 917-969-9765
email us here
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