‘I’m not a monster:’ Oklahoma Death Row inmate denied Clemency; family of victim speaks out

The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board denied a recommendation for clemency for death row inmate Kendrick Simpson, clearing the way for his execution. Simpson was convicted in a 2006 drive-by shooting that killed two men in Oklahoma City.

Allison Crystal’s brother, Glen Palmer, was one of the men killed in the shooting. She said the journey for justice has been 20 years long, but after Wednesday’s clemency hearing, justice feels closer than ever.

“My brother is resting in peace now,” she said. “The soil will sit on his grave because it’s been rocky. It’s been shifty for us as a family and for his friends.”

Glen Palmer and his friend Anthony Jones were shot following a fight at an Oklahoma City nightclub.

“He was literally a monster in that nightclub looking for somebody’s life to take,” Crystal said. “My brothers meant the world to me, they were the stars of the family, they were the center of our family. Our family has been so broken into pieces since this tragedy has happened”

Prosecutors said Simpson followed the men three miles from the club and fired roughly 20 rounds from an AK-style rifle into their car. London Johnson survived the shooting. He spoke before the board recalling the trauma he suffered.

“A part of me died in that car as well,” he said. “Those were my best friends, my brothers. So many endless tears and sleepless nights of images of my friends laying there bleeding out, suffering from his careless thoughts and selfishness. My heart will forever be broken.”

Simpson addressed the board via live video, expressing remorse for his actions, apologizing to the victims’ families for killing their loved ones and for terrorizing Johnson. He said while he doesn’t deserve it, he asked the board for mercy.

“I’m not the worst of the worst, I’m not a monster,” Simpson said. “I’m ashamed of my actions. I’m ashamed of the destruction my actions caused. I’m ashamed of being a murderer. I’ve dedicated myself to nonviolence by traveling the road to redemption.”

His attorneys said his traumatic childhood, surviving Hurricane Katrina, and untreated PTSD contributed to his actions that night. While in prison, they says he worked to better himself, gaining his GED, taking college courses and even becoming an award winning poet. However, Simpson admits he is solely to blame.

“I’m responsible for their deaths,” he said. “I don’t make any excuses. I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them. I’m ashamed of causing much pain and hurt, the type of pain and hurt that lives forever.”

Simpson’s sons also gave recorded video statements to the board saying even though he was in prison, he stayed a part of their lives and they were close. Despite Simpson’s plea and his family’s testimonies, the board ultimately denied to recommend clemency. For Crystal, she says after two decades without her brother, she finally feels relief.

“He (Simpson) has gotten to see his kids grow, to build a bond with them, something my brothers would never get to do. Their daughters would never get to know them,” she said. “This has really been tragic for our family. We are just excited that this is over with.”

Simpson is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Feb. 12 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.

Statement from AG Gentner Drummond:

“This ruthless and violent killer hunted and executed his victims without remorse,” Drummond said. “I commend the Pardon and Parole Board for rejecting clemency today. The victims’ families will finally see justice when the death sentence is carried out on Feb. 12.”

Statement from the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (OK-CADP):

“Is the State of Oklahoma capable of “extending grace to the man who Kendrick Simpson is today” or “reducing him to a one-dimensional character” punished for what happened on the worst day of his life? Ignoring the deep remorse that Kendrick Simpson expresses for the families of those whose lives were taken, the Oklahoma Pardon & Parole Board just showed that it is not fully capable of recognizing the positive impact of transformative rehabilitation and showed no mercy for Kendrick Simpson. This is a sad day for Oklahoma.”