Death row inmate convicted of killing wife in Apex dies of natural causes

A Wake County man convicted of killing his wife in front of a police officer in Apex in 1997 has died of natural causes.

Allen R. Holman, 64, who was on death row, died Wednesday at 1:45 p.m. at a medical center outside the prison, according to the state. The cause of death was not provided.

No one on death row in North Carolina has been executed since 2006. Holman's execution was scheduled for 2007 but put on hold because the state Department of Correction could not find a physician willing to attend the execution.

Holman, who spoke with WRAL News years ago, said he was ready to die. He even fired his attorneys at one point in an effort to move forward with the execution.

"I want closure for the victim's family," Holman told WRAL News at the time. "I want closure for my family. I want closure for myself."

After the North Carolina Medical Board declared it unethical for physicians to participate in executions, fewer doctors were willing to attend. However, under state law, a physician is required to be present at all executions to ensure that the condemned inmate does not suffer.

Other legal challenges have put death penalty on hold in North Carolina. In 2006, questions were raised over the lethal injection drugs used.

As of December 2022, 137 people are on North Carolina's death row.