In a dramatic turn of events, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt intervened on Thursday to halt the impending execution of a death row inmate, just hours before it was set to take place.

Governor Stitt, a staunch conservative, announced his decision to accept the recommendation of the Pardon and Parole Board, thereby commuting Tremane Wood’s death sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. In his statement, he revealed that his decision was made after a meticulous review of the case details and thoughtful deliberation.

Tremane Wood, aged 46, was convicted for the fatal stabbing of a man during a failed robbery attempt in 2002. Despite his conviction, Wood has consistently proclaimed his innocence. Interestingly, it was his brother, Zjaiton Jake Wood, who confessed to committing the murder and subsequently received a life sentence without parole.

The case dates back to New Year’s Day in 2002, when prosecutors alleged that the Wood brothers, alongside two female accomplices pretending to be prostitutes, orchestrated a plan to lure unsuspecting victims to a hotel. The victims were then robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint.

Tragically, Ronald Wipf, one of the victims and only 19 years old at the time, was stabbed to death during the robbery. Although a second victim managed to escape, they were unable to identify the assailant, as both brothers were wearing masks at the time of the incident.

One of the victims was 19-year-old Ronald Wipf, who was fatally stabbed by one of the two brothers. A second victim who managed to escape could not identify the attacker because both were wearing masks.

“This action reflects the same punishment his brother received for their murder of an innocent young man and ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever,” the governor said Thursday. “I pray for the family of Ronnie Wipf and for the surviving victim, Arnie; they are models of Christian forgiveness and love.”

Stitt’s clemency comes just days after the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to recommend clemency for Wood. Both the surviving victim and Wipf’s mother opposed the execution.

His attor­ney, Amanda Bass Castro Alves, said in a statement Thursday that she and her legal team are “profoundly grateful” for the governor’s decision, which she says “honors the wishes of Mr. Wipf’s family and the surviving victim, and we hope it allows them a measure of peace.”

Stitt last granted clemency in 2021, when he reduced the life sentence of Julius Jones to life without parole, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. A total of 16 men have been executed in the state since Stitt took office iin January 2019.

With News Wire Services