Oklahoma
Executions this week in Texas and Oklahoma as Missouri presses forward with plan to execute innocent man
Two men were put to death in the US this week—one each in Texas and Oklahoma. Both executions expose the brutal and arbitrary character of this punishment across the states that still practice the death penalty, as well as the abusive childhoods and horrific life experiences of many of those who find themselves on death row. Meanwhile in Missouri, authorities plan an execution in a case where DNA and lack of other evidence proves the condemned man is innocent of the murder for which he wa convicted.
Law on “future dangerousness” condemns Texas death row prisoner
Ramiro Gonzales was executed Wednesday in Texas. He was sentenced to death in 2006 for the kidnapping, rape and murder of 18-year-old Bridget Townsend in 2001. Gonzales, now 41, was also 18 at the time of the crime. The murder went unsolved for more than a year, until Gonzalez confessed to the killing after he was sentenced to life in prison for the abduction and rape of another woman.
The Texas Board of Parole and Pardons voted 7-0 on June 24 to deny Gonzales’ clemency petition and Governor Greg Abbott allowed the execution to proceed. The Republican governor has overseen the execution of 73 people since he took office in 2015 and granted clemency only once.
The US Supreme did not take up Gonzales’ final appeal for clemency or a stay until after his execution, allowing it to proceed. Later Wednesday they declined to take up the case.
Gonzales was put to death at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. In his final statement, reported by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the condemned man repeatedly apologized to Townsend’s family. “I can’t put into words the pain I have caused y’all, the hurt, what I took away that I cannot give back. I hope this apology is enough. I lived the rest of this life for you guys to the best of my ability for restitution, restoration taking responsibility.”
He was pronounced dead at 6:50 p.m. following the injection of a single lethal dose of the barbiturate pentobarbital.
Gonzales was sentenced to death according to a contentious aspect of the Texas capital punishment system, which requires capital juries to consider a defendant’s “future dangerousness” to society. The jury must determine, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a defendant is likely to be violent in the future and presents “a continuing threat to society.” Texas is the only state with this statute. Attorneys for Gonzales argued before the Board of Parole and Pardons that their client not only did not pose a danger, but “in fact actively contributes to prison society in exceptional ways.”
At trial, the jury agreed with expert witness Dr. Edward Gripon, a psychiatrist, who testified that Gonzales could likely commit a similar crime in the future if he remained alive because he suffered from an incurable and violence-inducing mental disorder. Two decades later, Gripon wrote in a report that there was no solid research to back up the theory that there is a high likelihood that those who commit sexual assaults will violently reoffend.
Gripon said he no longer stood by this theory, which has been proven unfounded, and that after meeting with Gonzales in 2021 he no longer believed he posed a threat of violently offending again. He said he found Gonzales to be “a significantly different person both mentally and emotionally,” which he said represented “a very positive change.”
While on death row, Gonzales acted as a peer mentor and coordinator in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Faith Based Program, where participants live in special housing and take religion classes. He earned the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree from a theological seminary.
Gonzales’ clemency petition to the Texas board highlighted his religious involvement in prison as well as information about his childhood abuse and mental health problems. The Death Penalty Information Center (DPIC) writes that he “was given up for adoption, sexually abused as a child, and began using drugs at age 15 to cope with the death of his aunt. By the time Mr. Gonzales dropped out of school at age 16, he was still in eighth grade.”
“Ramiro knew he took something from this world he could never give back,” his attorneys wrote in a statement shortly after the execution. “He lived with that shame every day, and it shaped the person he worked so hard to become. If this country’s legal system was intended to encourage rehabilitation, he would be an exemplar.”
But the criminal justice system in America, especially in relation to the death penalty, does not encourage rehabilitation. Nor does it consider the backgrounds of poverty and abuse of individuals who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Rather, as shown in Gonzales’ case, authorities promote the anti-scientific view that some members of society are “born evil,” must face retribution, and in some cases receive the ultimate penalty.
Texas has executed 588 of the 1,575 prisoners put to death since the US Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976, far more than in any other state.
Oklahoma: Disregard for a death row inmate’s abusive childhood
Richard Rojem was executed by the state of Oklahoma on Thursday. Rojem, 66, had been in prison since 1985, making him the longest serving inmate on Oklahoma’s death row. He was convicted of kidnapping, raping and killing his seven-year-old former stepdaughter, Layla Cummings. The young girl’s mutilated body was found in a field in rural Washita County.
Rojem was injected with a three-drug lethal cocktail at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. When asked for his last words, he said only, “I don’t. I’ve said my goodbyes.” According to Associated Press, he was declared unconscious about 5 minutes after the first drug, the sedative midazolam, began flowing. He stopped breathing at about 10:10 a.m.
Rojem was convicted previously of raping two teenage girls in Michigan. Prosecutors said he was angry at his young victim because she told her mother that he had sexually abused her, leading to his divorce and return to prison for violating his parole.
At Rojem’s clemency hearing, his attorneys argued that DNA evidence taken from the girl’s fingernails did not link him to the crime. But prosecutors said a fingerprint on a cup outside the girl’s home and a condom wrapper found at the crime scene linked Rojem to the murder.
Testifying via video from prison, Rojem said he wasn’t responsible for the victim’s death. “I wasn’t a good human being for the first part of my life, and I don’t deny that,” Rojem said. “But I went to prison. I learned my lesson and I left all that behind.” The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 5-0 not to recommend to Governor John Stitt that his life be spared.
A Washita County jury convicted Rojem in 1985 after only 45 minutes of deliberations, but his death sentence was twice overturned on appeal due to trial errors. A jury in Custer County handed him his third and final death sentence in 2007. He ran out of appeals in 2017.
Court records on Rojem’s personal history state that he was from a family with “generational dysfunction,” with alcoholic parents and caretakers. He was born prematurely with an orthopedic deformity and spent the first three years of his life in a full body cast.
His biological father was killed in a bar fight when Rojem was three years old. USA Today reports that, according to the court filings, he was then raised by his 17-year-old mother, living in a “chaotic and overcrowded household” of 13 people in a 1,500-square-foot house.
The documents say he witnessed domestic abuse between his mother and stepfather and was sexually abused by an older stepbrother. The records show he was genetically predisposed to developing psychological disorders, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Oklahoma has executed 125 people since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, second only to Texas. According to DPIC, the state has executed more inmates per capita than any other state during this time. It has carried out 13 executions since October 2021, following a nearly six-year hiatus after a series of ghastly executions in 2014 and 2015.
Missouri sets execution date for an innocent man
Missouri has executed 99 people since 1976, third behind Texas and Oklahoma. One of the 13 people on the state’s death row is Marcellus Williams. This month, the Missouri Supreme Court set a September 24, 2024 execution date for Williams, despite a motion filed by the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney to vacate his conviction because newly presented DNA evidence proved he did not commit the murder.
Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell stated that the DNA evidence, “when paired with the relative paucity of other, credible evidence supporting guilt, as well as additional considerations of ineffective assistance of counsel and racial discrimination in jury selection, casts inexorable doubt on Mr. Williams’ conviction and sentence.”
Williams received a last-minute reprieve just hours before his scheduled execution on August 22, 2017. Then-Governor Eric Greitens stayed the execution and convened a board of inquiry to investigate his case. But on June 29, 2023, current governor Mike Parson dissolved this board and the attorney general sought a new execution date. Williams sued the governor, but the Missouri Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit and scheduled a new date to put him to death.
Governor Kevin Stitt has said he wants the State Superintendent of Education to be a governor-elected position instead of an elected one. Political analyst Scott Mitchell examines what this would mean for the state.
Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is urging lawmakers to send a state question to voters that would make the state superintendent an appointed position, as he named Lindel Fields of Tulsa to the role and announced a turnaround team to help implement his education agenda.
Is the State Superintendent an elected role?
Yes, the State Superintendent of Education is still an elected role. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026.
Cons of making the superintendent an appointed position
Mitchell said making this position appointed could cause distrust among some Oklahomans
“Over the years, we’ve seen that capture of regulatory sort of is easy to do when you have term limits, then lobbies become more powerful, and they have all the history. It’s very complicated.
He also said if the position were to be elected, they would likely have the same agenda as the governor.
“Yes, and I think the governor would be absolutely saying, ‘Yes, they’re going to do what I want them to do.’”
Changing how the superintendent is chosen changes what the founding fathers set.
“Voters are going to have to say yay or nay if it gets to them, is whether or not we want to change the way that the founding fathers set up the way that we make sure that power is not concentrated in Oklahoma,” he said.
Is Ryan Walters’ term the reason Stitt wants to make this position appointed?
Mitchell said he believes the former State Superintendent played a role in the government wanting to appoint this position.
During his time as superintendent, Walters was known to have multiple controversies. He resigned in 2025, allowing Stitt to appoint Lindel Fields.
“His impact on this, even though he’s gone, is certainly evident,” said Mitchell. “Walters left midstream, right? And so the governor had a chance to appoint someone. Well, it wasn’t just an appointment; it was chaos before and relative calm and competency after. And that has given the governor an opening for people to see with their own eyes. Yeah, you can put somebody in, we’re talking about Lindel Fields, that appears to get up every day, not trying to find some, get a click on social media, but rather to do his job. And across the board, for the most part, this guy’s getting thumbs up.
Stitt said electing Fields has already given him some leverage since he has been well perceived so far.
“That allows a governor to say, Look, I’ve got some standing, some leverage to go to the voters and say, let’s put expertise as the main reason that a person’s there, not because they were able to win an election because they had some sort of populist or dramatic ideas.”
Who is running for Oklahoma State Superintendent?
Republican Ballot
- Sen. Adam Pugh
- John Cox
- Rep. Toni Hasenbeck
- Ana Landsaw
Democrat Ballot
- Craig Mcvay
- Jennettie Marshall
Independent
To learn more about each candidate, click here.
A full breakdown of candidates in the 2026 Oklahoma State Superintendent race, including party affiliation, background and key education priorities.
An Oklahoma highway could soon be named after the late country superstar, Toby Keith, pending new legislation.
House Concurrent Resolution 1019 would rename a proposed turnpike project the “Toby Keith Expressway.” This roadway is set to be built from Interstate 44 East to Interstate-35, continuing East and North to Interstate 40. This road is a part of the ACCESS Oklahoma Long-Range Plan, which is meant to update and expand the state’s turnpike system.
This resolution was adopted by the House on Wednesday.
“Toby Keith was more than a country music star. He was a proud Oklahoman who never forgot where he came from,” said Rep. Jason Blair, R-Moore. “Naming this turnpike in his honor is a fitting way to recognize a man who represented our state with ultimate patriotism and generosity.”
Keith was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, raised in Moore and resided in Norman. He died on February 5, 2024, in a battle with cancer.
“Over the course of his legendary career, Toby Keith never forgot where he came from or what he stood for,” said Sen. Lisa Standridge, R-Norman. “His Oklahoma roots shaped him, and his love of America defined him. He was a country music superstar and a true patriot. I can think of no better way to honor his memory than by naming this future stretch of Norman turnpike in his honor, creating a lasting tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.”
During his career, Keith sold over 40 million records and more than 20 number-one singles
Legislation authors believe this would commemorate the life and legacy of Toby Keith.
The bill will now head to the Senate.
To read the full House Resolution, click here.
President Donald Trump delivered a 108-minute State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The speech celebrated what Trump called a “turnaround for the ages,” highlighting what he says have been broad economic gains over the past year, as well as historic achievements in border security, immigration enforcement and foreign policy. Democrats, in their rebuttal, painted a very different picture, insisting economic conditions have worsened under Trump and that his administration shows little respect for the rule of law while striving to enrich themselves.
The members of the Oklahoma delegation, all Republicans, offered praise for the president and his message:
Sen. James Lankford (interview with Griffin Media):
“Yeah, the President spoke for just less than two hours, but he walked through some key issues that I’ve had a lot of Oklahomans ask about. Where are we on illegal immigration? How are we handling enforcement? Where’s the economy? He spent a tremendous amount of time at the beginning talking about, ‘Here are the change in prices we’ve seen in eggs, in vehicles, in mortgages and inflation rate, and the significant change that that has come down.’ He spent a lot of time talking about international issues at the end, and a lot of time talking about crime and things that Americans really talk about, and I’ve had a lot of Oklahomans ask about at the beginning. So, he spent the first half talking through, I think, the Americans—the kitchen table issues there: crime, economy, where are we going as a country? Starting more jobs, having more opportunities, the tax cut changes that are really affecting a lot of Oklahomans. And then towards the end, spend a lot of time talking about international issues, including Iran. I think he needed to spend a little more time talking about the issues with Iran, since we have such a military build-up there to explain to the American people. This is why this is such a big issue, and he spent the time doing that.”
Rep. Stephanie Bice (interview with Griffin Media):
“Well, I thought it was really an opportunity for the president to talk about what he’s done over the last year and also highlight the wins. You know, we’ve seen so many people impacted by things like border security, the Big Beautiful Bill, you know, economic reform, and so he was really highlighting that tonight…There were some really amazing stories, and it was a feel-good evening. I feel like he really—I think he connected with the American people tonight.”
Rep. Tom Cole (statement)
“Throughout the first year of President Trump’s term as the 47th President of the United States, the President has delivered on the mandate of the American people and truly ushered in the golden age. Tonight, President Trump delivered a powerful speech that illustrated just that.
“At the border, we have seen a complete one-eighty, as illegal “getaways” are down by 95 percent and migrant crossings are down by 99.99 percent. Rampant crime and disorder are turning into safer communities. We have made national security a priority again, making generational investments in America’s defense through the One Big Beautiful Bill and utilizing decisive leadership to make bold but necessary decisions like air striking Iran last year and capturing Venezuelan President Maduro earlier this year.
“I would be remiss not to mention the significant economic strides. The One Big Beautiful Bill provided the largest tax cuts in history and will bring long-lasting financial relief to families, workers, and small businesses. Years of inflation and stagnation are being replaced with renewed growth and a resurgent economy. Measurable progress has been made on cost-of-living pressures, drug costs have been lowered on the consumer, and red tape has been cut for small businesses.
“In just one year, President Trump has turned this country around. Under the previous Administration, our country had turned a blind eye to illegal immigration, we had lost respect on the world stage, and inflation was skyrocketing. Now, the American Dream is back. The United States is strong, prosperous, and respected – and, as President Trump said, the state of our union is strong.”
Rep. Kevin Hern (statement)
“Tonight, President Trump reaffirmed that when we put America first, America wins. At an unprecedented pace, he’s reversed the damage caused by four years of reckless Biden-era policies that sent our nation down the wrong path. Families are now seeing historic tax relief, lower inflation, a secure border, and peace around the world – this is only the beginning. I’m proud to stand alongside President Trump as we continue our work to lower costs, put more money in Americans’ pockets, and strengthen the American Dream for families across the country.”
Rep. Josh Brecheen (statement)
“It was an honor to attend President Trump’s State of the Union address tonight. Congress, alongside President Trump, has fought hard to restore conservative values within our great nation. While there’s still lots of work to be done, I am encouraged by the direction our nation is headed and look forward to the year ahead! The American Dream is possible once again!!!”
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