The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has scheduled Emmanuel Littlejohn’s execution for Sept. 26.
In 1992, Littlejohn and a man named Glenn Bethany robbed an Oklahoma City convenience store and the owner, Kenneth Meers, was killed. Each man was tried and convicted of murder separately, though only Littlejohn was sentenced to death. Littlejohn has always maintained that he was not the shooter.
The organization Death Penalty Action hosted a live-streamed press conference Monday to show a new clemency campaign video. Littlejohn called into the livestream from prison, though it was difficult to hear his statements.
Rev. Jeff Hood, an advocate for people on death row including Littlejohn, co-hosted the press conference and repeated Littlejohn’s statements louder for the live stream.
Littlejohn could be heard saying, “I didn’t do it. I did not kill Mr. Meers.”
Hood said he believes Littlejohn is innocent, and it doesn’t make sense for two people to be sentenced for murder when only one shot was fired.
“The doubt and the questions are enough to where it seems absolutely absurd that the attorney general's office would still be pursuing a death sentence at this point,” he said.
On Aug. 7 the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board will decide whether to recommend to Gov. Kevin Stitt that Littlejohn be granted clemency, in which case he would serve a life sentence without parole.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
