Nationwide — Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has halted the planned execution of 46-year-old Tremane Wood, granting him clemency and converting his death sentence into life imprisonment without parole. Wood had been scheduled to die by lethal injection on Thursday, but the governor intervened at the last moment after reviewing the case and considering the wishes of the victim’s family, who opposed the execution. The decision marks a rare move in Oklahoma, a state known for its frequent use of capital punishment.
According to BBC News, Wood was originally convicted of first-degree murder in the 2004 stabbing death of farmworker Ronnie Wipf during a robbery at an Oklahoma City motel. While Wood admitted involvement in the robbery, his defense has long argued that he did not carry out the fatal stabbing, pointing instead to his older brother, Zjaiton Wood, who pleaded guilty to the murder before dying in prison in 2019. Wood’s legal team has also maintained that his original trial was compromised by ineffective representation, noting that his former attorney, John Barry Albert, struggled with drug and alcohol addiction and later faced a suspension of his law license.
Just hours after being spared from execution, Wood was found unresponsive in his cell and transported to a hospital. Officials later determined that the episode was caused by dehydration and extreme stress, as Wood had reportedly refused food and water since Wednesday evening, believing that he was eating his final meal. After receiving treatment, Wood told officials he was feeling stable again.
In announcing the clemency, Governor Stitt described the decision as the result of “thorough review” and “prayerful consideration,” adding that the commutation aligns Wood’s punishment with that of his late brother. He emphasized that the new sentence still ensures public safety by keeping a violent offender incarcerated for life. This marks the governor’s second decision to grant clemency to a death row prisoner since he took office in 2019.
Wood’s current attorney, Amanda Bass Castro-Alves, praised the governor’s action and expressed gratitude on behalf of her client. She highlighted that the clemency honors the wishes of both Wipf’s family and the surviving victim, Arnold “Arnie” Kleinsasser, who supported the parole board’s 3-2 recommendation earlier this month to spare Wood’s life. Stitt also publicly acknowledged their forgiveness, calling the family “models of Christian love.”
Not everyone welcomed the decision. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond voiced disappointment and vowed that his office will continue working to ensure Wood remains imprisoned for life. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Oklahoma has carried out two executions so far this year, following four in 2024, underscoring the significance of this clemency in one of the nation’s most active death penalty states.