Vernon Madison (August 22, 1950 – February 22, 2020)[1] shot police officer Julius Schulte twice in the back of the head in Mobile, Alabama in April 1985.

Madison was an inmate at Holman Correctional Facility from September 1985 up until his death on February 22, 2020[2][3][4][5] Three trials were held, as the convictions from the first two were overturned: the first because prosecutors unconstitutionally excluded black people from the jury and the second because they introduced evidence improperly.

[2][3][4][7] Madison had severe strokes in 2015 and 2016, resulting in vascular dementia and leaving him unable to remember killing officer Schulte.

[4][7][11] Prior to his death, he was blind and had suffered a severe mental decline; he only remembered the alphabet up to the letter G and had slurred speech.

[6] Stevenson argued that Madison was disabled beyond solely memory loss and thus his execution would violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.

The Court held that if a prisoner is unable to rationally understand the reasons for his sentence, the Eighth Amendment forbids his execution.