In a dramatic turn of events, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt granted clemency to a death row inmate just hours before his scheduled execution on Thursday.

Tremane Wood, now 46, had been condemned for the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old farmworker Ronnie Wipf during a New Year’s Day robbery in Oklahoma City back in 2002.

During a recent clemency hearing, Wood’s defense team argued that his brother, Zjaiton Wood, was the actual perpetrator of the stabbing. Zjaiton, who passed away in prison in 2019, allegedly confessed to committing several murders, including that of Wipf, as reported by the Associated Press.

In a photo dated February 9, 2023, provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Tremane Wood is depicted. He was previously sentenced to death for the 2001 robbery-related homicide.

Governor Stitt’s decision to grant clemency followed a narrow 3-2 vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which recommended sparing Wood’s life on November 5.

Stitt headed a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which voted 3-2 Nov. 5 recommending clemency for Wood. 

“After a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute Tremane Wood’s sentence to life without parole,” Stitt wrote in a statement. 

“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. In Oklahoma, we will continue to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes, delivering justice, safeguarding our communities, and respecting the rule of law,” he added. “I pray for the family of Ronnie Wipf and for the surviving victim, Arnie; they are models of Christian forgiveness and love.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt granted Tremane Wood clemency on Nov. 13, 2025. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The Attorney General’s Office opposed the decision, noting Wood used multiple contraband cell phones to distribute drugs and engage in gang violence while incarcerated. 

The state provided the Pardon and Parole Board with a video allegedly showing a beating paid for by Wood, which he insisted be sent to him.

“After this dangerous criminal took a young man’s life, he stayed fully active in the criminal world from behind bars,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond wrote in a statement. “I am disappointed by the Pardon and Parole Board’s decision today but appreciate their thoughtful deliberation. My office will continue to pursue justice for Ronnie Wipf. We intend to make our case to the governor on why clemency should not be granted and why the death sentence, as determined by a jury, should be carried out.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has only granted clemency one other time. (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Tremane Wood Foundation noted that the jury was nearly all White, with one Black juror. The Legal Defense Fund also claimed that Wood’s defense attorney did not handle the case properly.

“Mr. Wood was failed by our criminal legal system in a number of ways, including through poor legal representation and by a trial that may have been infected by racial bias. And he has spent his life in prison as a result,” the organization wrote in a statement. “… Oklahoma’s clemency board has made clear that Wood should not die nor does the victim’s family seek his death.”

The governor has only granted clemency one other time in his seven years in office.

Only half a dozen prisoners have been granted clemency in Oklahoma since 1972.