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Oklahoma executes James Coddington for 1997 hammer killing

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Oklahoma executes James Coddington for 1997 hammer killing


McALESTER, Okla. — Oklahoma executed a person Thursday for a 1997 killing, regardless of a advice from the state’s Pardon and Parole Board that his life be spared.

James Coddington, 50, acquired a deadly injection on the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester and was pronounced lifeless at 10:16 a.m. Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to commute Coddington’s sentence to life in jail with out parole and rejected his petition for clemency. Coddington was the fifth Oklahoma inmate to be put to loss of life because the state resumed executions final 12 months.

“To all my household and buddies, attorneys, everybody who’s been round me and liked me, thanks,” Coddington mentioned whereas strapped to a gurney contained in the loss of life chamber. “Gov. Stitt, I do not blame you and I forgive you.”

After delivering his final phrases, Coddington lifted his head and flashed a thumbs as much as his legal professional, Emma Rolls, who cried quietly within the witness room.

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After the primary drug, midazolam, was administered, Coddington’s respiration grew to become labored and his chest hitched a number of instances. A physician on the execution workforce declared him unconscious at 10:08 a.m., and Coddington might be heard loud night breathing contained in the chamber.

Coddington was convicted and sentenced to die for beating 73-year-old Albert Hale to loss of life with a hammer. Prosecutors say Coddington, then 24, grew to become enraged when Hale refused to present him cash to purchase cocaine.

Throughout a clemency listening to this month earlier than the state’s five-member Pardon and Parole Board, an emotional Coddington apologized to Hale’s household and mentioned he was a unique man right now.

However Mitch Hale, Albert Hale’s son who witnessed the execution, mentioned he did not consider Coddington was sincerely remorseful, noting that he by no means talked about his father or the Hale household throughout his final phrases.

“He proved right now it wasn’t real. He by no means apologized,” Hale mentioned. “He did not carry up my dad.”

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Hale added: “I forgive him, however that does not launch him from the results of his actions.”

Rolls, Coddington’s legal professional, mentioned through the clemency listening to that Coddington was impaired by years of alcohol and drug abuse that started as an toddler when his father put beer and whiskey into his child bottles.

Coddington was twice sentenced to loss of life for Hale’s killing, the second time in 2008 after his preliminary sentence was overturned on attraction.

After killing Hale, Coddington dedicated at the least six armed robberies at gasoline stations and comfort shops throughout Oklahoma Metropolis.

“When the total circumstances of the homicide, associated robberies, and intensive historical past of violence on Mr. Coddington’s half are thought-about, one factor is obvious: loss of life is the one simply punishment for him,” prosecutors within the state legal professional common’s workplace wrote to the Pardon and Parole Board.

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The state had halted executions in September 2015 when jail officers realized they had acquired the incorrect deadly drug. It later got here to mild that the identical incorrect drug had been used to execute an inmate, and executions within the state had been placed on maintain.



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Oklahoma

What will the weather be like on Christmas Day in OKC? See 2024 Christmas forecast

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What will the weather be like on Christmas Day in OKC? See 2024 Christmas forecast


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Oklahoma City won’t have a white Christmas in 2024, but we also won’t be breaking any high temperature records.

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Here’s what you need to know about the Christmas forecast in OKC and across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Christmas 2024 forecast

According to the National Weather Service, it will be cloudy but dry on Christmas Day in Oklahoma.

A chance of rain will increase in the late evening hours.

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Here are the forecasted highs and lows across central, western and northern Oklahoma:

  • Oklahoma City: Low of 44°F, high of 52°F
  • Enid: Low of 36°F, high of 50°F
  • Lawton: Low of 46°F, high of 57°F
  • Woodward: Low of 30°F, high of 52°F
  • Ada: Low of 46°F, high of 56°F



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Former Oklahoma State DC Bryan Nardo Expected to Join Charlotte Staff

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Former Oklahoma State DC Bryan Nardo Expected to Join Charlotte Staff


Oklahoma State’s former defensive coordinator is wasting no time finding another gig.

On Monday, Doug Samuels of FootballScoop reported that Bryan Nardo is expected to join the defensive staff at Charlotte. One of the most recent teams to jump to the FBS level, Charlotte could soon be adding a coach with Big 12 experience.

Nardo spent the past two seasons in Stillwater as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. While his first season wasn’t necessarily the most impressive, it seemed his adjustments and overall scheme were key in OSU’s ascension to a 10-win season and Big 12 Championship appearance.

However, everything fell apart for Nardo in year 2. With the Cowboys ranking among the bottom 10 in the FBS in most statistical categories, OSU’s defense was the main issue in the team’s winless Big 12 campaign.

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However, not all of the blame for OSU’s three-win season can be placed on Nardo. OSU’s offense also struggled mightily throughout the season, but the injuries piling up for the OSU defense sealed Nardo’s fate.

With future NFL players Collin Oliver and Nick Martin not playing a snap after September, the Cowboys were without their anchors and other injuries piled up from there. With a myriad of backups and players not playing in their natural positions, Nardo had no true opportunities to run his desired scheme. Still, OSU’s horrendous rankings and results on the field were still too much to overlook as the team overhauled virtually its entire staff this offseason.

With Nardo heading east, the Cowboys hired Todd Grantham as his replacement shortly after the position opened. Nardo is also not the first former OSU defensive coordinator to head to Charlotte.

After being let go following the 2017 season, Glenn Spencer went to Charlotte and was its defensive coordinator for the 2018 season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.

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Navy Midshipmen Keys to Beating Oklahoma Sooners in Armed Forces Bowl

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Navy Midshipmen Keys to Beating Oklahoma Sooners in Armed Forces Bowl


The Armed Forces Bowl is the Navy Midshipmen’s kind of bowl game. As they prepare to take on the Oklahoma Sooners, they are familiar with the surroundings at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kickoff on Friday is at noon eastern on ESPN.

This is Navy’s (9-3) third appearance in the Armed Forces Bowl, as they beat Middle Tennessee in 2013 and then played a highly-dramatic affair with Louisiana Tech in 2016, which Navy lost 48-45.

At stake for the Midshipmen is their first 10-win season under second-year coach Brian Newberry and their sixth 10-win season in program history. Also with the win the Midshipmen can double their win total from a season ago in Newberry’s debut.

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All in all, it would be the capper for a successful second year under their former defensive coordinator.

Oklahoma (6-6) is coming off a sluggish debut in the SEC, where at times the Sooners struggled to score points but scored a huge elite season win over Alabama, a victory that likely kept the Crimson Tide out of the College Football Playoff.

Third-year coach Brent Venables is also dealing with losing players to the transfer portal and two potential defensive stars who may not play in the game as they prepare for the NFL.

How does Navy win? Here are three keys to watch.  

Wanna see a simple cause-and-effect relationship?

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In Navy’s nine wins, the Midshipmen have outscored teams 104-7 in points off turnovers. The only team to score any points off a Navy turnover in those nine games? Incredibly, it was Bucknell in the season opener.

In the Midshipmen’s three losses, Navy has been outscored 48-0 in points off turnovers.

Navy needs to avoid turnovers, avoid giving up points when it turns the ball over. It also needs to force turnovers and score points off those turnovers.

Yes, that’s rather simple. But the Midshipmen are polar opposite teams in this category, which means that first turnover of the game, whoever commits it, could be telling.

It’s not as if Navy is going to become a different team than it was against Army West Point, and certainly quarterback Blake Hovarth’s ability to throw the ball as a differentiator. But, the Midshipmen just need to be who they are.

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Navy is averaging 249.3 rushing yards per game, the seventh-best average in FBS and the program’s best since 2019.

Navy hasn’t played Oklahoma in decades comma but Army played the Sooners recently in Norman. Back in 2018, OU needed overtime to beat Army, 28-21. Oklahoma doesn’t see option teams at all during the season. That’s an edge for Navy.

Oklahoma has had some turnover at quarterback since the end of the regular season. Starter Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn and another quarterback is in the portal.

The Sooners expect to start Michael Hawkins Jr. behind center, who actually began the season as the starting quarterback. So Navy’s defensive staff will need to break down some tape from earlier in the season.

He has 536 passing yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He’s a solid runner. But he was benched for fumbling the ball multiple times against South Carolina. Ball protection is key against Navy, which does a good job of creating turnovers. Pressure on Hawkins will be a difference-maker in the game.

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