His photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on February 5, 2018, shows Julius Jones. Jones’ fate belonged to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP / AP
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Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP / AP
His photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on February 5, 2018, shows Julius Jones. Jones’ fate belonged to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP / AP
The clock is ticking.
Family members, activists and celebrities are hoping their last-minute appeal to the governor of Oklahoma can save the life of Julius Jones, a man to be executed at 4 a.m. Thursday afternoon, local time.
Jones, 41, was sentenced to death for the 1999 shooting that killed Paul Howell in Edmond, Okla. Jones has always maintained his innocence. Lawyers fighting for his freedom say the case that led to his conviction was seriously flawed.
Questions about Jones’ role in Howell’s murder led to the Oklahoma Board of Amnesty and Amnesty earlier this month recommending a reduced death sentence for him. life in prison with the possibility of pardon, according to KOSU. But Governor Kevin Stitt did not act on the recommendation.
If he decides to step in, Stitt could go along with the pardon board’s recommendation to reduce Jones’ sentence. He may also delay the execution to allow more time to review the case or allow the execution to proceed as planned.
Big names like reality stars Kim Kardashian West, who became a criminal justice advocate, and Baker Mayfield, a full-back for the Cleveland Browns, is calling for justice in Jones’ case.
“This is the cold machine of the Death Penalty in America. In just over two weeks, an innocent man can be executed.” Kardashian West tweeted. “My heart breaks for Julius and so many others who have suffered such a tragic miscarriage of justice.”
Students from several schools in the area joined a walkout Wednesday to protest against Jones’ impending execution. Oklahoma City Public Schools told New York Times More than 1,800 students across 13 schools joined the protest.
Oklahoma uses lethal injection to carry out executions. If Jones’ execution goes ahead, it will be only the second time in Oklahoma since 2015, when the state halted the operation after it was found to have used the wrong mix of drugs in the process. But Oklahoma executed John Marion Grant in October and has several other plans in the coming months.
Questions surrounding the story of co-defendant Jones
On the night of July 28, 1999, Jones insists he was with his family at his parents’ Oklahoma City home for dinner and board games. That’s according to the Innocence Project, a nonprofit focused on whitewashing those wrongly convicted. Prosecutors said Jones told a different story after his arrest.
But around the same time that evening, less than 20 miles away, Paul Howell was pulling up to his biological parents’ house. A little later, he was shot dead – the victim of a car robbery. Howell’s sister is a witness to a crime.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaks during a news conference on February 11, 2021, in Oklahoma City.
Sue Ogrocki / AP
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Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt speaks during a news conference on February 11, 2021, in Oklahoma City.
Sue Ogrocki / AP
Howell’s family testified before the pardon panel and said they believe Jones is guilty. According to KOSU, they said they felt intrigued by the publicity the case has received.
Attorneys for Jones maintain yes serious problems with case.
Chris Jordan, a co-defendant in this case and at the time of the shooting of a friend of Jones, is said to have admitted to at least three roommates that it was he who killed Howell – not Jones. .
Prosecutors said those inmates were unreliable, according to the Associated Press.
Jordan spent the night at Jones’ home after Howell was murdered, according to reports. When questioned by police, Jordan told police that the gun was in the home of Jones’ parents. Jordan continued to testify against Jones and received a plea agreement. He got out of prison after 15 years behind bars.
The Innocence Project points to racial prejudice in the Jones case
The officer who arrested Jones is said to have called him by the nth word, dared him to run, and then implied that he would shoot him if he did. Jones repeats that story as he recounts the case to OUDaily.
After the case went to trial, 11 of the 12 jurors were white.
Research by Francis Flanagan, associate professor of economics at Wake Forest University, showed the racism of a jury may have an impact on the outcome of the case.
Flanagan told NPR recently that data shows juries that include more Black jurors are more likely to acquit criminal defendants across the board (including white and defendant defendants). black fox). White men on juries were actually more likely to convict Black defendants and less likely to convict white defendants, he said.
A juror allegedly referred to Jones with the n-word, and suggested that he be taken out of court and shot, the Innocence Project said.
There were also questions about the record of District Attorney Bob Macy, who handled Jones’ case, the reports said.
One-third of Macy’s death sentence was overturned due to misconduct by the prosecution, the Innocence Project said. Many of them with vacated criminal records were Black.
Last month, the Organization of the Conservative Alliance of America, published a letter to Stitt about the case, pointing to questions surrounding Macy’s reputation.
“Taken together, we believe that the suspicion of Jones’ responsibility for the crime is inherently insignificant. Indeed, that is why the Oklahoma Board of Amnesty and Amnesty has recommended reducing the death penalty for the death penalty.” Jones despite the pressure tactics being employed by District Attorney David Prater, the letter read. “In such cases, a reduction of life imprisonment for Jones is appropriate. Public safety will be maintained, while the possibility of a wrongful execution will be eliminated.”
Big names have called on the governor to act
Nancy Vollertsen, center, holds a photo of her deceased brother, Greg Wilhoit, as she and Gary Drinkard, left, Juan Melendez and Herman Lindsey, right, who have both spent time with their deaths prison prior to her pardon, when she sent a letter to the Office of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, requesting an expedited transition hearing for Julius Jones, Wednesday, September 1, 2021, in St. Oklahoma City.
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Nancy Vollertsen, center, holds a photo of her deceased brother, Greg Wilhoit, as she and Gary Drinkard, left, Juan Melendez and Herman Lindsey, right, who have both spent time with their deaths prison prior to her pardon, when she sent a letter to the Office of Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, requesting an expedited transition hearing for Julius Jones, Wednesday, September 1, 2021, in St. Oklahoma City.
Sue Ogrocki / AP
More than 6.5 million people have signed petition support Jones.
Locally, Justice for Julius, an organization founded by local advocate Cece Jones-Davis, has worked for years to bring attention to the Jones case. Activists continued protest in the state capital of Oklahoma to call for Stitt’s leniency in the Jones case.
As the date of Jones’ execution approached, the number of people calling for a reduced sentence for Jones increased.
The NFL’s Mayfield, a former University of Oklahoma quarterback, spoke to reporters about the case on Wednesday.
“I’ve been trying to present facts and truths spoken for a while, but it’s hard to think about. Tried and tried,” Mayfield said. “It’s a pity that it’s been so far. We’ve got 24 hours. So it’s been tough. You know, hoping that God can step in, handle it correctly and do things. what he needs to do.”
The advocacy for Jones even spread globally. Stavros Lambrinidis, a representative from the European Union wrote in a letter to Stitt: “We urge you to exercise all the powers assigned to you in your office to grant Mr. Julius Jones clemency.”
