Prosecutors have said Jones told a different story after his arrest.īut around the same time that evening, less than 20 miles away, Paul Howell was pulling up to his own parents' house. That's according to the Innocence Project, a nonprofit focused on exonerating the wrongly convicted. On the night of July 28, 1999, Jones says he was with his family at his parents' Oklahoma City house having dinner and playing board games. Questions around Jones' co-defendant's story Oklahoma executed John Marion Grant in October and has several more executions planned for the coming months. If Jones' execution had gone ahead, it would have been just the second in Oklahoma since 2015, when the state paused the practice after it was found to be using an incorrect mix of drugs in the process. Oklahoma uses lethal injection to conduct executions. The Oklahoma City Public Schools told The New York Times that more than 1,800 students across 13 schools participated in the demonstration. Students from several area schools took part in a walkout on Wednesday to protest Jones' impending execution. "My heart breaks for Julius and so many others who have suffered from such tragic miscarriage of justice." In just over two weeks, an innocent man could be put to death," Kardashian West tweeted. "This is the cold machinery of the Death Penalty in America. Major names like reality star Kim Kardashian West, who has become a criminal justice advocate, and Baker Mayfield, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, called for justice in Jones' case. Stitt's silence over the intervening weeks prompted last-minute appeals from family members, activists and celebrities. Stitt's Thursday order states that Oklahoma law does not permit the parole board to recommend that a death sentence be commuted to life with the possibility of parole, citing a specific article in the state constitution. Questions over Jones' role in Howell's murder led the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to recommend this month that his death sentence be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Attorneys fighting for his freedom say the case leading to his conviction was seriously flawed. Jones has always maintained his innocence. Jones, 41, was sentenced to death for the 1999 shooting death of Paul Howell in Edmond, Okla. "After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones' sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," Stitt announced. Stitt reduced Jones' sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, intervening before his scheduled lethal injection but falling short of the state parole board's recommendation. Kevin Stitt has commuted the death sentence of Julius Jones, after mounting public pressure and just hours before he was set to be executed. Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP And we want to make sure that in the future, this isn’t something we’re going to have to do in 30 years from now.The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended this month that Julius Jones' death sentence be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole. “It shouldn’t ever be considered to take someone’s life away," Gomez said. Not only showing support for Julius Jones, but also protesting the death penalty. "And we just wanted to make sure that everybody in Tulsa was on board with this because it was not ever going to be okay with any of us to take away somebody’s life.” “We messaged everybody else from other schools and their student bodies," said Alexis Gomez, a senior at Booker T Washington. These walkouts were organized by a group of Booker T students, who contacted other students all across the metro. Others, including students at East Central High School also walked around their football fields. It wasn’t just Booker T students walking out. "And I don’t know, it just fills my heart to know we might not have to deal with some of these same issues when we all grow up and become in positions of power and things like that. “Almost every student came out," Davis said. Nearly the entire student body giving their support. I would want someone to fight on my behalf when I cannot.”Īfter gathering on the football field, students walked around to the front of the school. I would want someone to raise awareness for me. Because if this were me, I would want someone to do the same. "So it kind of just struck something in my heart. He’s a black man just like me," said Christian Davis, a junior at Booker T Washington. They held signs and chanted as they called for justice for Julius Jones. MORE > EXECUTION STOPPED: Julius Jones death sentence commuted, will serve life in prison Washington High School walk out of class in support of Julius Jones.
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