In a recent development concerning capital punishment, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has consented to the transfer of death row inmate George John Hanson from a Louisiana federal prison to Oklahoma. Hanson's execution is a step closer to being realized, following a request by the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.

Convicted for the murder of 77-year-old Mary Bowles during a carjacking in 1999, Hanson — who also goes by John Fitzgerald Hanson — was implicated in the death of Bowles, who was abducted and shot at an isolated spot near Owasso, as well as Jerald Max Thurman, a witness who stumbled upon the scene. In addition to his death sentence, Hanson is serving a life term for a bank robbery. Drummond, having filed the request on January 23, was pushing for the completion of the execution protocols, in the spirit of President Trump's recent executive order, aimed at reinforcing the capital punishment laws put in place, according to the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.

Attempting to halt the transfer, Hanson sought emergency relief in a federal district court in Louisiana, only to be met with the U.S. Department of Justice's recommendation to dismiss his petition. Bondi's memorandum, filed on Feb. 12, echoed this sentiment, facilitating the inmate's move to Oklahoma in alignment with Drummond's wishes. A statement obtained by Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General, outlined Drummond's acknowledgment: "I appreciate Attorney General Bondi's swift action in this case and her commitment to ensuring that justice is served for the death of Mary Bowles."

With the transfer green-lit, Drummond has requested the Bureau of Prisons to arrange Hanson's relocation to the Lexington Assessment and Reception Center well before the upcoming execution date on March 20. This maneuver is designed to place Hanson within the eligibility parameters for the likely scheduled execution date in June. Despite being scheduled originally for execution on Dec. 15, 2022, the lack of action from the Biden Administration had halted the process, an action Drummond criticized as "the epitome of subverting and obstructing the execution of a capital sentence," as per the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General.