Attorney General Gentner Drummond is taking a firm stance against the granting of clemency for Kendrick Simpson, the man sentenced to death for the 2006 killings of Glen Palmer and Anthony Jones. In a recent submission to the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board detailed on the Oklahoma Attorney General's website, Drummond outlined Simpson's lack of remorse and ongoing violent behavior, which fueled the decision to seek capital punishment in his case.
Drummond's case against Simpson is based on a history of violence; Simpson was found guilty of conducting a drive-by shooting, utilizing an AK-style assault rifle to fire approximately 20 rounds, resulting in the death of two individuals while narrowly missing a third and an innocent bystander inside their home, Drummond emphasized Simpson’s disturbing history with violence which not only encompassed the crime for which he was convicted but also included an armed home-invasion robbery prior and threatening his accomplices, along with attempting to order a hit on the sole witness after the murders, according to the Oklahoma Attorney General's press release.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is scheduled to hear Simpson's plea for clemency on January 15, facing a daunting task as they weigh the gravity of his crimes against the sanctity of life. "Kendrick Simpson hunted his victims, executed them without hesitation, and then boasted about what he had done," said Drummond, reflecting on the senseless nature of the crime and its aftermath on the victims' families, having conveyed this perspective through the clemency filing documents, as stated by the Oklahoma Attorney General.
With the execution date looming on February 12, the state’s and the families' pursuit of what they perceive as justice remains unwavering; Drummond has made it clear that nothing in Simpson's decades on death row has demonstrated a change in character or temperament worthy of leniency, reiterating that "The families left behind have endured unimaginable pain, and nothing in Simpson’s decades on death row has shown that he deserves the mercy he refused to give to others," as per the Oklahoma Attorney General.
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