An Oklahoma appeals court ordered a stay of execution be lifted for death row inmate John Hanson, making way for him to receive a lethal injection Thursday.
George John Hanson, 61, has been scheduled to be put to death Thursday for at least a month, but his execution was temporarily stalled when his attorneys argued he didn't receive a fair clemency hearing in front of the state's Pardon and Parole Board.
His defense claimed the board's 3-2 vote in favor of Hanson's death was impacted by Sean Malloy, a member of the board who had worked for the same district attorney's office that prosecuted his case.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond challenged the stay at the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, which ordered it be lifted Wednesday morning.
Hanson's defense said it is pursuing "all available avenues" to ensure a fair process, and plans to appeal to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
"No person facing execution should have to plead for mercy in front of a decisionmaker with direct ties to their prosecution," his attorney, Emma Rolls, said in a statement. "This case is also about the integrity of Oklahoma's clemency process and the promise of a fair, impartial hearing."
Hanson was sentenced to death in Tulsa County for the 1999 kidnapping and murder of Mary Bowles. Hanson and an accomplice carjacked and kidnapped Bowles from a Tulsa shopping mall and then shot the 77-year-old woman at an isolated dirt pit near Owasso.
His defense argues Hanson was not the main perpetrator of the crime, but was coerced by his co-defendant, who is currently serving life in prison. During his clemency hearing in May, attorneys claimed Hanson's decisions were the result of his autism spectrum disorder.
Prior to being moved to Oklahoma's death row earlier this year, Hanson had been serving a separate life sentence in a Louisiana federal prison. He was transferred to Oklahoma after a special request from Drummond was granted by President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
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.
