"Governor Stitt took an important step today towards restoring public faith in the criminal justice system by ensuring that Oklahoma does not execute an innocent man," Bass said in a statement. Jones has proclaimed his innocence from death row for more than two decades, saying he was framed by the actual killer, a high school friend and former co-defendant who was a key witness against him.Īmanda Bass, a lawyer representing Jones, said that the team had hoped Stitt would grant Jones a chance at parole but that the team was grateful that he wouldn't be executed. Jones, 41, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to die for the 1999 shooting death of Edmond, Oklahoma, businessman Paul Howell during a carjacking. He said he wanted to have the chance to "help somebody else save their life." Prescott said he learned about the case shortly after the death of his brother by suicide in April 2020. "For me, it's about continuing to do whatever I can to help." "I know there's a lot of people that are supporting Julius and supporting the governor's decision in which he made, and we're all very, very thankful for not taking an innocent man's life," Prescott said.
Mayfield reacted to the news of Jones' commutation in a tweet Thursday.ĭallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who wrote letters to Stitt and the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in the summer of 2020, said he was "thankful" for Thursday's ruling.
Hopefully God can intervene and handle it correctly and do the things he needs to do." It is a shame that it has gotten this far. Since then, a number of sports figures with Oklahoma ties, including Westbrook, Griffin and Young, have urged Stitt to commute Jones' death sentence and spare his life.įormer Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield spoke out in support of Jones on Wednesday, saying: "I have been trying to get the facts stated and the truth to be told for a while, but it is tough to think about. Jones' case drew widespread attention after it was profiled in "The Last Defense," a three-episode documentary produced by actress Viola Davis that aired on ABC in 2018. Stitt commuted Jones' sentence on Thursday - the date of his scheduled execution - to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. Kevin Stitt has commuted the death sentence of condemned inmate Julius Jones, whose case drew the attention of numerous sports figures, such as NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Trae Young.
#JULIUS JONES EXECUTION UPDATE UPGRADE#
The Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation was to reduce Jones’ sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole, which would have been immediately eligible for.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĭeath sentence for Julius Jones reduced to life in prison by Oklahoma governor “After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones’ sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole,” Stitt said in a statement. The decision comes after Jones’ sister, Antoinette, and a group of spiritual leaders were unable to meet with the governor on Tuesday in an effort to overturn the execution. On October 27, 2021, Jones was granted a stay of execution which was later overturned by the state attorney general’s office however, on November 18, the same day as his execution, Stitt spared Jones’ life.
In 2002, Julius Jones, 40, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death at just 22 years old for the killing of 45-year-old businessman Paul Howell. WHAT DID GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT SAY ABOUT JULIUS JONES?
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