On November 13, Okl. Governor Kevin Stitt spared the life of Tremane Wood right before he was set for lethal injection, instead giving him life in prison without parole.
Tremane Wood was scheduled for lethal injection for stabbing a man to death during a botched robbery in 2002. During the clemency hearing Woods’ attorney didn’t deny that he did the robbery but claimed that his brother Zjaiton Wood was the one that stabbed the man to death. His brother got life without parole before he died in prison in 2019. Prosecutors painted Wood as a dangerous criminal who still participated in dangerous gang activity and continued to commit crimes while in prison, including buying and selling drugs, ordering attacks on other prisoners, and using illegal cellphones while in jail. Woods’ attorneys attacked the U.S Supreme Court to stop the execution but the court denied three requests early Thursday morning. His attorneys claimed that the prosecutors didn’t properly reveal the details of the plea agreement.
“ I am disappointed that the governor has granted clemency for this dangerous murderer, but I respect that this was his decision to make.” Drummond said in a statement and he said that he wishes that Tremane Wood would have gotten the death row instead of getting life in prison but he has to respect that it wasn’t his decision.
Wood has also claimed “ I’m not a monster. I’m not a killer. I never have been.”
Stitt announced “ after a thorough review of the facts and playful consideration, I have chosen to accept the pardon and parole board’s recommendation to commute Tremane Wood’s sentence to life without parole.”
This is only the second time the republican governor has granted clemency during his nearly 7 years in the office. 16 men have been executed during Stitts time in office. Tremane wood was 46 when he was scheduled for death row.
