![]() "As God is my witness, I was not involved in any way in the crimes that led to Howell being shot and killed," Jones said in his clemency report. Howell's sister, Megan Tobey, was the only eyewitness.Īfter a three-day search for a suspect described as a young black male wearing a white shirt, a skull or stocking cap, and a red bandana over his face, Jones, then 19, was arrested. Two shell casings were found at the scene. The 45-year-old businessman was shot in the head on July 28, 1999, while sitting in a tan GMC Suburban in his parents' driveway in Edmond, Oklahoma. In 2002, Jones was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Paul Howell. He's on death row, serving time for a crime he maintains he didn't commit, in a cell alongside 53 others stacked in two rows inside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. On Thursday, Julius Jones' death sentence was commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole.įOR JULIUS JONES, H Unit has been home for 18 years. NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento KingsĮditor's note: This story was originally published on June 17, 2020. Why Blake Griffin, Russell Westbrook and other NBA stars fought to save Julius Jones Jones-Davis said.You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser “Julius, his family, and his legal counsel will be ready to put on a strong and powerful case that Julius’ death sentence and conviction were a grave miscarriage of justice, and that the state’s best option for correcting this mistake is to commute his sentence to time-served and release him from prison,” Rev. If Jones’ case moves to a newly scheduled October 5th clemency hearing, the Board can go as far as recommending an immediate release, or it can recommend no change in Julius Jones’ pending death sentence. Tuesday’s vote by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board means the stakes could not be higher. Governor Stitt appointed him to the office after former Oklahoma AG Mike Hunter resigned as news reports began to surface citing an extramarital affair. Significantly, AG O’Connor, who has requested an execution date of October 28 for Julius Jones, was not even elected by the people of Oklahoma. Some Oklahoma residents had already accused Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater of obstructing justice when he filed a lawsuit against parole board members and Governor Kevin Stitt, asserting improper proceedings and a conflict of interest in some commutation cases. Sign-Up for a free subscription to The Black Wall Street Times' daily newsletter, Black Editors' Edition (BEE) - our curated news selections & opinions by us for you. The Black Wall Street Times / News Publication The latest action by Oklahoma AG O’Connor has many wondering whether the crime obstruction of justice applies to state officials who attempt to influence the decisions of parole board members before they’ve even conducted a hearing. ![]() Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor determined to resume executions Additionally, a recent poll conducted by Amber Integrated found 6 in 10 Oklahomans support commutation for Julius Jones. More recently, on top of having an ineffective counsel and at least one racist juror, another man’s alleged confession adds evidence in support of Jones’ claim of innocence. “I have spent the past 20 years on death row for a crime I did not commit, did not witness and was not at.” “As God is my witness, I was not involved in any way in the crimes that led to Howell being shot and killed,” Jones wrote. Julius Jones' last chance: Pardon and Parole Board poised to set October clemency hearing date Close Search for: ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |