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A convicted killer who spent 22 years sitting on loss of life row has been executed.
Phillip Dean Hancock took his final breaths simply earlier than 11.30am after receiving a three-drug deadly injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary on November 30.
The 59-year-old’s sentence went forward over 20 years after he dedicated his crime, regardless of a clemency advice from the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.
“I can’t think about the nervousness that Phillip Hancock will need to have felt as Governor Stitt once more waited till past the final minute to reject clemency,” Rev. Don Heath, chair of the Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Dying Penalty, stated in an announcement.
Hancock was sentenced to loss of life in 2001 for the double slaying of Robert Jett Jr., 37, and James Lynch, 58, who he shot and killed throughout an altercation.
He lengthy claimed the homicide was purely in self-defence, testifying that the 2 males attacked him inside Jett’s house in south Oklahoma Metropolis.
His legal professionals attest that Jett and Lynch have been members of “outlaw bike gangs” and that Jett lured Hancock, who was unarmed, to his house.
One feminine witness beforehand acknowledged that Jett compelled Hancock to get inside a big cage earlier than he started swinging a steel bat at him.
After the 2 males allegedly attacked him, Hancock took Jett’s gun and shot them each, based on his defence group.
“Please perceive the terrible state of affairs I discovered myself in,” he informed members of the Pardon and Parole Board by way of a video feed from jail.
“I’ve little question they’d have killed me. They compelled me to combat for my life.”
Regardless of his pleas that he acted in self defence, it was not sufficient to save lots of him.
Day of execution
Whereas strapped to a gurney awaiting his loss of life contained in the execution chamber, Hancock thanked his authorized group and reiterated his declare that he killed in self-defence.
He added that he hoped to be exonerated after his execution.
Hancock criticised Legal professional-Normal Gentner Drummond’s workplace, which dealt with his post-conviction prosecution.
“They’re vile. They’re virtueless. They’re with out honour,” he stated earlier than his loss of life.
A witness stated that he informed a feminine supporter attending the execution to “not cry” for him and added that it was “onerous to smile” in gentle of what was about to occur.
The evening earlier than his execution, the loss of life row inmate ate a easy final meal of darkish meat solely fried rooster in a bucket from KFC, with no sides and a bottle of root beer.
Hancock’s lawyer, Shawn Nolan, stated his group have been “profoundly unhappy” about his loss of life.
“We’re profoundly unhappy that Oklahoma executed Phil for shielding himself from a violent assault,” he acknowledged.
“This was a transparent case of self-defence and the Governor and the state ignored a wealth of proof exhibiting that Phil was combating for his life.”
State legal professionals argued that Hancock had given altering accounts of the precise particulars of what occurred on the evening of the murders.
In addition they stated that his testimony didn’t seem to align with bodily proof.
Assistant Legal professional-Normal Joshua Lockett claimed a witness who testified within the case stated that after Hancock shot Jett inside the home, he adopted him into the yard the place a wounded Jett stated “I’m going to die”, whereas Hancock responded by saying “sure you might be” earlier than taking pictures him once more.
“Chasing somebody down, telling them you might be about to kill them after which doing it’s not self-defence,” Lockett stated.
Again in 1982, Hancock was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in separate taking pictures the place he additionally claimed self-defence.
He served lower than three years of a 4 12 months sentence in that case.
The households of the 2 victims expressed their aid over Hancock’s execution.
“Our two households have waited a very long time for this,” Jett’s brother stated.
In an announcement from Lynch’s sister, she stated that she was grateful that “justice could possibly be served”.
“This 22 12 months nightmare may be laid to relaxation,” she stated.
“I can solely hope that he selected to get his soul proper with god earlier than his window of alternative closed for eternity.”
Oklahoma has executed extra inmates per capita than some other state because the 1976 reinstatement of the loss of life penalty.
Hancock’s execution was the final of a complete of 24 executions carried out within the US in 2023.
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