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Advocates launch desperate effort to save Oklahoma man from execution in 1992 murder

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Advocates launch desperate effort to save Oklahoma man from execution in 1992 murder


Anti-death penalty activists on Monday kicked off a campaign seeking clemency for the next person slated to be executed in Oklahoma.

Emmanuel Littlejohn, who was convicted in 1994 for the 1992 murder of a convenience store owner, was given an execution date of September 26 by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals Wednesday.

Reverend Jeff Hood, a death row spiritual advisor, and Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action Co-Founder Executive Director, argued at a press conference that a lack of evidence pointing towards Littlejohn’s co-conspirator Glenn Bethany — who is currently serving a life sentence — being the person that fired the fatal shot made the scheduled execution an injustice.

“This is not a clear case,” Hood said. “This is a case where we have a number of issues, a number of problems.”

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In an interview with USA Today ahead of the press conference, Littlejohn accepted responsibility for his role in the robbery but maintained his innocence in the murder.

“They don’t want to punish me for what I did do, the robbery and all that,” Littlejohn said. “They want to kill me and I didn’t kill nobody.”

The group presented a video appealing to the people of Oklahoma to contact Governor Kevin Stitt and advocate for Stitt to grant Littlejohn clemency.

“He understands being held accountable for participating in a robbery that went awry,” Bonowitz said. “How is it that the shooter, the actual shooter, is getting a lesser punishment than he is?”

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Oklahoma and the death penalty

Stitt has used his clemency power once in his tenure, sparing the life of Julius Jones after a high-profile advocacy campaign. The state has executed 13 people since Stitt lifted a moratorium on executions in 2020.

“Governor Stitt has a moral responsibility to the people of Oklahoma to do the right thing no matter what he has done in the past,” Hood said. “I’m an old preacher, I believe it’s possible for people to get saved.”

Oklahoma has executed 124 people since 1976, the second most in the country since the reinstatement of capital punishment

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board could recommend Littlejohn’s punishment be changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a hearing scheduled for August 7. Stitt can only act if the board recommends clemency.

What happened in Emmanuel Littlejohn’s case?

Littlejohn was one of two robbers who took money from the Root-N-Scoot convenience store in south Oklahoma City on June 19, 1992. Littlejohn was then 20.

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The owner, Kenneth Meers, 31, was killed by a single shot to the face as he charged at the robbers with a broom. Witnesses differed on who fired the gun. Hood and Bonowitz pointed to witnesses that said the “taller man” was the shooter, referring to Bethany.

Bethany was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1993.

Littlejohn was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1994. A second jury in 2000 also voted for the death penalty at a resentencing trial. The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals ordered the resentencing because of improper testimony from a jailhouse snitch.

Central to Littlejohn’s appeal was a claim of prosecutorial misconduct. His attorneys complained the same prosecutor argued at the first trial that Bethany was the shooter and then argued at the subsequent trial that Littlejohn was the shooter.

“It has long been established that prosecutors may not violate fundamental principles of fairness,” one attorney told a federal judge in 2005.

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Littlejohn exhausted his appeals in 2018.

That complaint was repeatedly rejected on appeal. The Court of Criminal Appeals found in 1998 the prosecutor did not act improperly “given the uncertainty of the evidence.”

A federal judge in 2010 found the prosecutor made no outright assertions that Bethany was the shooter at the first trial but instead “reminded the jurors that it was their task to determine whether Bethany was guilty of malice murder or felony murder.”

The judge noted that in Littlejohn’s trial the prosecutor went further and adamantly asserted that he was the actualshooter.



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Oklahoma

2026 Hemmings Great Race at Will Rogers Memorial Museum

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2026 Hemmings Great Race at Will Rogers Memorial Museum


The 2026 Hemmings Great Race, a nine-day rally featuring 120 antique and classic vehicles, will make a stop at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum on June 22. Celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the 2,300-mile event travels from Springfield, Illinois, to Pasadena, California, with 17 stops across eight states and visits to many iconic landmarks along the historic highway.


Will Rogers Memorial Museum


09:30 AM – 11:30 AM on Mon, 22 Jun 2026

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Event Supported By

Oklahoma Historical Society

405-521-2491





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Oklahoma primary election guide for Bartians

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Oklahoma primary election guide for Bartians



Early voting opens June 11

Primary Election day in Oklahoma is June 16.

Across the state voters will weigh in on the potential next governor and whether the minimum wage should be raised.

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Here’s what to know to be ready.

Closed primaries across the state

In Oklahoma, closed primaries mean only voters who are registered with a major party can participate in the Primary Election.

To check your registration visit the Oklahoma Secretary of State’s website. The last day to register to vote in the primaries was may 22.

Tight governor’s race

Nine GOP candidates want to succeed Gov. Kevin Stitt, while just two Democrats are seeking the state’s highest office.

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Cyndi Munson, the Democratic House leader, and Connie Johnson, a former state senator, will be on the Democratic ticket.

GOP’s crowded ticket includes Attorney General Gentner Drummond, former state public safety adviser Chip Keating, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, former House Speaker Charles McCall, former state Senator Jake Merrick, small business owners Jennifer Domenico, Leisa Mitchell Haynes and Kenneth Sturgell, and Calup Taylor.

Domenico, 62, is from Bartlesville.

“If I am elected governor, this animosity will stop. It must stop. We live in a state that experiences tornadoes and other natural disasters. Do Oklahomans want to be at the point that we are not going to help each other if someone is in distress and has a Trump flag still flying or a Resistance flag flying after a tornado ripped through a residence? No! This is Oklahoma,” Domenico said in a Q&A with the Oklahoman.

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Washington County Assessor

The race for Washington County Assessor will be decided in the primary between Republicans Steve Campbell and Chris Standridge.

Campbell, the incumbent, has served in his role for four years. Standridge is a former employee of the Assessor’s Office.

Other races, questions on the ballot

Lieutenant Gov.

  • H. VICTOR FLORES (R)
  • T. W. SHANNON (R)
  • DARRELL WEAVER (R)
  • DAVID OSTROWE (R)
  • JUSTIN JJ HUMPHREY (R)
  • BRIAN HILL (R)

Attorney General

  • JON ECHOLS (R)
  • JEFF STARLING (R)

State treasurer

  • TODD RUSS (R)
  • CINDY BYRD (R)

Superintendent of Public Instruction

  • JENNETTIE MARSHALL (D)
  • CRAIG McVAY (D)
  • TONI HASENBECK (R)
  • JOHN COX (R)
  • ROBERT FRANKLIN (R)
  • JAMES TAYLOR (R)
  • ADAM PUGH (R)
  • DEBRA A. HERLIHY (R)
  • WILLIAM E CROZIER (R)

Comissioner of Labor

  • JOHN PFEIFFER (R)
  • LISA JANLOO (R)
  • KEITH SWINTON (R)
  • KEVIN WEST (R)

Insurance Commissioner

  • CHRIS MERIDETH (R)
  • GRETA SHULER (R)
  • MARTY L QUINN (R)
  • BOB SULLIVAN (R)

Corporation Commissioner

  • DONALD ANTHONY CLYTUS (D)
  • RHONDA EASTMAN (D)
  • HAROLD D. SPRADLING (D)
  • BRAD BOLES (R)
  • JUSTIN HORNBACK (R)

U.S. Senator

  • TROY W. GREEN (D)
  • ERVIN STONE YEN (D)
  • R.O. JOE CASSITY JR. (D)
  • N’KIYLA JASMINE THOMAS (D)
  • JIM PRIEST (D)
  • NICK HANKINS (R)
  • GARY TY ENGLAND (R)
  • KEVIN HERN (R)
  • SEAN BUCKNER (R)
  • BRIAN RAGAIN (R)

U.S. House District 2

  • JOSH BRECHEEN (R)
  • WILL WEBB (R)
  • ERIK TERWEY (D)
  • BRANDON WADE (D)

State House District 10

  • JAKE BAIR (R)
  • JUDD STROM (R)
  • CUEN FUNDERBURKE (R)

State House District 11

  • JOHN B. KANE (R)
  • WENDI STEARMAN (R)

State Questions

  • NO. 832, INITIATIVE PETITION NO. 446

Bartlesville voting locations

Early voting begins Thursday, June 11.

Early voting can be done at the Washington County Election Board located at 401 Johnstone Ave., Ste. 4 during the following days and times.

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  • 8 a.m. top 6 p.m. on June 11
  • 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 12
  • 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 13



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Parsa Fallah, Kashie Natt Seeking Eligibility Waivers to Play at Oklahoma State Next Season

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Parsa Fallah, Kashie Natt Seeking Eligibility Waivers to Play at Oklahoma State Next Season


STILLWATER — There’s a chance that Parsa Fallah dons the orange and black again next season.

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz told reporters Tuesday that Fallah has filed for an eligibility waiver that would see him gain a sixth season.

“Parsa is petitioning the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility because of some circumstances he had when he first came over to the United States,” Lutz said. “So, yes, I am holding the scholarship for him at this point.”

Fallah was a fan favorite in what was initially thought to be his lone season at Oklahoma State and became even more of a fan favorite late in the year when he tore his ACL at the end of OSU’s win against West Virginia just to hobble into the postgame news conference and pour his heart out for the university.

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Fallah’s eligibility will be interesting.

He came to the United States from Iran, but it wasn’t as simple as hopping on a plane and heading over. He had to go to a U.S. embassy in Africa — a process he thought would take two days, but he ended up being in Africa for sixth months with $400.

By the time he got to Southern Utah, his first college program, Fallah redshirted. He went on to play 58 games with Southern Utah across the next two seasons, averaging 7.7 points and 3.8 boards a contest before transferring to Oregon State. In one year with the Beavers, Fallah averaged 12.8 points and four boards a contest before averaging 14.7 and six last season with the Cowboys.

“He’s around,” Lutz said. “He comes to the team meetings and practices, and he works out with (strength coach) Gavin (Roberts), and Kevin (Blaske), the trainer, and our physical therapist. He’s a lot thicker, but that’s because he’s not running. But he told me the other day, if I’m not mistaken, he should be running here very soon, or jogging pretty soon.

“So, he’s doing great. Positive attitude, excited about the future — whether it be with us in basketball or he’s had some job opportunities presented to him here in Stillwater and beyond. So, he’s living the dream.”

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It’s hard to tell anymore in terms of what the NCAA is thinking when it comes to waivers. Then on top of that, it’s tough to determine just how much power the NCAA actually has to enforce a decision. Just Monday, a Texas judge ruled that Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby is eligible despite his gambling situation.

Fallah’s isn’t the only waiver the Cowboys are waiting on, either.

Reigning Conference-USA Defensive Player of the Year Kashie Natt signed with the Cowboys this offseason, but he’s in need of some extra eligibility.

“I don’t have any updates,” Lutz said of Natt’s situation. “There’s been waivers filed with the NCAA, and then obviously depending on what they say, you obviously have to take it to the courts.”

Natt’s path to that extra year seems a little more straight forward. Last season was Natt’s first at the Division-I level, where he averaged 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a pair of steals a game at Sam Houston.

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Natt started his college career at Southern University-Shreveport — a junior college — before spending two seasons at LSU-Alexandria — an NAIA school. He was a two-time All-American at LSU-Alexandria and was the 2025 NAIA National Player of the Year.

He’s also apparently made quite the impact in a short period of time this summer in Stillwater.

“He’s an unbelievable human being,” Lutz said. “He’s constantly bringing energy. He’s constantly bringing energy. Today, we started off practice … you get a towel, and you have hold the towel over your head. And then you have to do step slides, defensive step slides, like old school. I’ve never really said you have to say ‘ball’ or you have to say whatever, and Kashie decided, ‘Hey, coach, we’re gonna call ball, ball, ball, ball.’ Well, it’s contagious, and he’s just got that personality. So, it’s been enjoyable.”

 

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