Oklahoma death row inmate Anthony Sanchez to reject chance for clemency despite maintaining innocence
FILE - State Flag flies over Oklahoma State Capitol, Oklahoma City OK. ( Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)OKLAHOMA CITY - A man scheduled to be executed in September for the 1996 killing of a University of Oklahoma dance student plans to reject his chance for a clemency hearing, saying there is little hope the state's Republican governor would spare his life.Anthony Sanchez, 44, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday from Oklahoma's death row that even in the rare case when the five-member Pardon and Parole Board recommends clemency, Gov.
Kevin Stitt is unlikely to grant it."I've sat in my cell and I've watched inmate after inmate after inmate get clemency and get denied clemency," Sanchez said. "Either way, it doesn't go well for the inmates."Sanchez cited the recent cases of Bigler Stouffer and James Coddington, both of whom were executed after the board voted 3-2 for clemency that was later rejected by Stitt."They went out there and poured their hearts out, man," Sanchez said. "Why would I want to be a part of anything like that, if you're going to sit there and get these guys' hopes up?""Why wouldn't I try to prove my innocence through the courts," he added.Stitt granted clemency to a condemned inmate once, commuting Julius Jones death sentence in 2021 to life in prison without parole.
Jones' case had drawn the attention of reality television star Kim Kardashian and professional athletes with Oklahoma ties, including NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Trae Young, and NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield.
United States
|
Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
|
India
|
Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
|
Brazil
|
Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
Recovered: 0
|
United Kingdom
|
Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
Recovered: 0
|
Russia
|
Cases: 8 494 589
Deaths: 237 619
Recovered: 0
|