Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced on 13/11/2024 that he had commuted the sentence of death row inmate Tremane Wood, just hours before his scheduled execution by lethal injection.

Tremane Wood, 46, was convicted in 2004 for his involvement in a robbery that resulted in the death of Ronnie Wipf at an Oklahoma City motel. During a previous hearing, the victim's family stated they did not wish to see Wood executed. His brother, Zjaiton Wood, had pleaded guilty to fatally stabbing Wipf and died by suicide in prison in 2019.

"After a thorough review and prayer, I decided to accept the recommendation of the Pardon and Parole Board, commuting Tremane Wood's death sentence to life imprisonment without parole", Governor Stitt stated.

This marks the second time Governor Stitt has granted clemency to a death row inmate since taking office as Oklahoma Governor in 2019.

Tremane Wood has been held at an Oklahoma state prison for over 20 years. *Photo: Tremane Wood Foundation*

Wood's attorneys hailed the governor's decision as a "courageous and moral" act, consistent with the wishes of both the victim's family and the survivor of the robbery.

The defense team argued that the 2004 trial was unfair because Wood's attorney at the time suffered from alcohol and drug addiction, leading to ineffective counsel. The Oklahoma Supreme Court had temporarily suspended the attorney's license in 2006 for substance abuse.

Last week, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to recommend clemency for Wood, with three votes in favor and two against. The family of victim Ronnie Wipf and survivor Arnold Kleinsasser both supported this recommendation, which Governor Stitt praised as an "example of compassion".

Before receiving news of his commuted sentence, Wood was waiting for the warden to call his name in a cell adjacent to the death chamber. He consistently maintained that his brother was the one who fatally stabbed Wipf, while accepting responsibility for his involvement in the robbery and for prison infractions.

"I'm not a monster. I'm not a murderer", Wood stated during a previous hearing.

Shortly after his sentence was commuted, Wood was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to the emergency room.

The warden reported that the inmate had suffered from stress and dehydration while awaiting execution but had regained consciousness and stabilized after treatment. Wood stated he fainted while resting and fell off his bed, affirming he had no intention of harming himself and expressed gratitude to Governor Stitt.

By Thanh Danh (AP, BBC)