Oklahoma board denies clemency for man on death row, clears path for March execution
OKLAHOMA CITY — An Oklahoma board rejected clemency on Wednesday for a man sentenced to die for fatally shooting a woman during a 2005 home-invasion robbery, clearing the way for him to become the first person executed in the state this year. The Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 to deny recommending clemency for Wendell Grissom, 57, who turned down an opportunity to speak to the board via a video link from the State Penitentiary in McAlester. Grissom’s attorneys, federal public defenders Kristi Christopher and Thomas Hird, did not dispute Grissom’s guilt, but argued that he suffered from brain damage that was never presented to a jury. They also told the board Grissom has always accepted responsibility and expressed remorse for Matthews’ killing, even writing an apology to the woman’s family during his first interview with police. Grissom’s attorneys also said they have spoken to several jurors in the case, including the jury foreman, who said they likely would not have voted for the death penalty if they knew about Grissom’s brain damage.
Editorial: Bureaucracy of death may snag condemned Oklahoma man, guilty or not
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