40 Years Later: Oklahoma Parole Board To Review Case Of Teen Who Killed Brother-In-Law

A man convicted of first-degree murder will stand in front of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to seek early release during a Stage 2 parole hearing on Tuesday.

Wayne Thompson was convicted at age 15 for the 1983 murder of his sister’s alleged abuser.

Thompson’s case gained national attention and influenced juvenile justice after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1988 ruling in Thompson v. Oklahoma, which deemed it unconstitutional to execute offenders under 16.

His death sentence was commuted to life with parole eligibility. Now 57, Thompson cleared Stage 1 of the parole process late last year.

The murder, committed in Grady County, involved Thompson and accomplices beating, shooting, and disposing of Charles Keene’s body in the Washita River.

Thompson and his accomplices admitted to being under the influence of drugs while committing the crime.

Keene was alleged to have abused Thompson’s sister for nine years.

The Department of Corrections investigative report provided to the board does not recommend parole.

Thompson has sought parole twice since the 1990s, citing remorse and rehabilitation, though previous attempts were denied due to the crime’s violent nature.

Tuesday’s hearing comes as the board works through a backlog of cases from late 2024 and early 2025 following the resignations of two board members.