McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — Kendrick Simpson, who admitted to killing two men in a drive-by shooting in 2006, was executed on Thursday in Oklahoma's first execution of the year. The 45-year-old was pronounced dead at 10:19 CT after receiving a three-drug injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. Simpson was convicted of the murders of Anthony Jones, 19, and Glen Palmer, 20, who were shot after a confrontation at an Oklahoma City nightclub.
Having relocated to Oklahoma City from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Simpson acknowledged in a clemency hearing last month that he had committed the murders. He expressed remorse, stating, I apologize for murdering your sons. I don’t make any excuses. I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them. However, the state’s Pardon and Parole Board narrowly voted against granting him clemency.
On the eve of his execution, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-minute appeal with no comments. Simpson's legal team had argued that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to a childhood filled with trauma in a New Orleans housing project. They claimed, The death penalty is supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst offenses and offenders. Kendrick and his case represent neither. However, the families of the victims voiced strong opposition to clemency.
During the 2006 incident, prosecutors stated that Simpson used an assault rifle to fire approximately 20 rounds into the victims’ car, striking them multiple times. Some family members of the victims supported his execution, articulating their sentiments of enduring pain and loss. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond labeled Simpson a ruthless and violent killer who hunted his victims without remorse.
Oklahoma executed Simpson using a protocol involving a sedative, followed by vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride. His execution was the second in the U.S. for the year, as Florida had recently executed Ronald Palmer Heath. Oklahoma plans to carry out more executions soon, reflecting ongoing discussions about capital punishment's application in the U.S.
