OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Oklahoma Department of Corrections (ODOC) Executive Director Steven Harpe last week filed a joint motion asking the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to schedule the next phase of executions at 90-day intervals in what will be the final request for adjustments to the execution schedule.
There are six convicted murderers due to be executed who would be impacted: Richard Norman Rojem, Emmanuel Littlejohn, Kevin Ray Underwood, Wendell Arden Grissom, Tremane Wood and Kendrick Antonio Simpson.
In an affidavit filed with the motion, Harpe notes that the scheduling of an execution date triggers a series of tasks that must be completed by ODOC staff, many of which must occur weeks before the slated execution.
“The day of an execution affects not only those directly involved in the execution, but the entirety of Oklahoma State Penitentiary, which goes into a near complete lockdown until the execution is completed,” states the affidavit.
Before filing the motion, the Attorney General personally visited with family members of the victims of the affected inmates to explain the reason for the request.
“These families have waited far too long for justice to be done,” Drummond said. “Each family has a heartbreaking story of tragic loss, and it grieves me that the death penalty system takes so many years to deliver closure. Their day for justice draws closer. When that day comes, I will be there to bear witness.”
Harpe emphasized that adjusting the pace of executions can protect the integrity of the process.
“The previous model put a massive strain on ODOC to carry out daily operations due to the time the employees spent away from their primary posts to perform the required number of drills,” said Harpe.
“We appreciate Attorney General Drummond’s help in navigating this petition to adjust executions to every 90 days. This will allow ODOC to carry out the court-ordered warrants within a timeframe that will minimize the disruptions to normal operations. This pace also protects our team’s mental health and allows time for them to process and recover between the scheduled executions.”
Early last year, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals granted a request by Drummond to space out six executions approximately 60 days apart. Since that time, the State has executed three of the affected death row inmates. Another is stayed pending a competency hearing, and two others – Michael DeWayne Smith and Wade Greely Lay – are scheduled for later this year.
The filing underscores that this will be the final request for an adjusted execution schedule.
