Supporters of Julius Jones gather at Oklahoma State Capitol
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) – Supporters of death row inmate Julius Jones are gathering at the Oklahoma State Capitol as they await word of his fate.
Jones is scheduled to be executed on Thursday but Gov. Kevin Stitt is considering a recommendation from the Pardon and Parole Board to commute his sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Jones was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die for the 1999 shooting death of Paul Howell during a carjacking in Edmond.
Julius Jones news – live: European Union calls on Oklahoma governor to stay execution
Julius Jones is set to be executed by the state of Oklahoma on Thursday.
Jones’s family and supporters – a group that includes celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Russell Westbrook – have been pressuring Oklahoma’s Governor Kevin Stitt to commute the man’s sentence to life in prison, but so far Mr Stitt has not indicated he is considering a reversal. Mr Stitt is also facing international pressure after the European Union’s ambassador to the US penned a letter calling on him to stop the execution.
Jones, 41, has spent more than half of his life in prison after he was charged and convicted of the murder of Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking. He has maintained that he is innocent of the crime and was framed by his then-friend and co-defendant, who allegedly actually shot Mr Howell.
Kim Kardashian: ‘My heart breaks for Julius’ Jones as execution date nears
Kim Kardashian tweeted again about Julius Jones’ case as his scheduled execution date nears.
Jones is scheduled to be executed on Thursday, but Gov. Kevin Stitt could announce his decision on whether to grant Jones clemency any time between now and then.
Kim Kardashian Outlines ‘Cold Machinery’ of Death Penalty Ahead of Julius Jones Execution
Jones, 41, is set to be executed at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester on Thursday for the 1999 shooting death of businessman Paul Howell during a carjacking, but has always maintained his innocence.
But Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is still considering whether or not he will accept the state Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute Jones’ sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
TWO DAYS FROM JULIUS JONES’ SCHEDULED EXECUTION, ALL EYES ON STATE CAPITOL
Lawmakers inside the Oklahoma state Capitol building began their morning with the faint sound of beating drums and an Indigenous voice permeating through the air outside their offices.
A group of Oklahomans led what appeared to be an Indigenous prayer song around 7 a.m. on Tuesday outside the state Capitol building, as Governor Kevin Stitt remains two days away from killing death row detainee Julius Jones.
Maintaining his innocence for more than two decades over the 1999 murder of Edmond Businessman Paul Howell, Jones has received two recommendations for a commuted sentence to life with the possibility of parole from the state’s own Pardon and Parole Board.
Julius Jones execution looming as governor holds off on clemency decision
OKLAHOMA CITY — Time is running out for Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt to announce a decision in the case of death row inmate Julius Jones.
Jones is scheduled to be executed on Thursday as the decision to grant him clemency rests with Stitt.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board twice recommended sparing Jones’s life, most recently recommending clemency at a hearing on Nov. 1.