Death Penalty

A three-sentence announcement from the governor's office said Stitt reached the decision "after reviewing materials presented by all sides of the case." No other statement was included.

The parole board recommended clemency for Stouffer two weeks ago not because they doubted his guilt but because they had concerns about Oklahoma’s lethal injection procedure — concerns most board members now say they no longer have.

What was once one of the nation’s busiest death chambers has not resumed administering capital punishment as easily as some had hoped after Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt stopped Julius Jones from being executed hours before he was scheduled to die.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board twice recommended Jones' sentence be commuted to life with the possibility of parole.

There's no way around it. When a person is put to death, they are being killed.

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has twice recommended Gov. Kevin Stitt grant Julius Jones clemency and reduce his sentence to life with the possibility of parole, citing doubts about his guilt and problems with his trial.

Jones' case has increasingly drawn attention since it was profiled in a documentary that aired on ABC in 2018 and outlined some of his defense team’s allegations.

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis wrote he respectfully requests Stitt follow the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to grant Jones clemency and reduce his sentence to life with the possibility of parole.

An official with Stitt's office said the governor wasn’t available and asked Madeline Davis-Jones to fill out a form for visitors.

The Republican state lawmakers say there are too many doubts about Julius Jones' guilt.