A man convicted more than five decades ago of stabbing a young Tulsa nurse to death along Highway 412 is asking Oklahoma officials to let him out of prison, and the victim's family is mobilizing to stop it. Roger Dallas Rowbotham, now serving a life sentence for the 1974 murder of Beverly Meeker, has a commutation hearing scheduled for next week, with his release still contingent on additional review even if the board sides with him.
Meeker was a registered nurse at St. John's Hospital in Tulsa. She left after an overnight shift at about 7:15 a.m., and her body was found that morning. Court records cited by Justia identify the killing as occurring in 1974. She was killed along Highway 412 in Rogers County. As reported by News On 6, Rowbotham held Meeker at knifepoint along Highway 412, attempted to rape her, and then stabbed her to death.
A Death Sentence That Couldn't Stand
Rowbotham was convicted of first-degree murder in Rogers County District Court under Case No. CRF-74-43 and sentenced to death under Oklahoma's 1974 capital murder statute.
His sentence was later modified to life imprisonment.
A Pattern Prosecutors Say Predates Meeker's Murder
Rowbotham has admitted he committed a similar crime in Tulsa four years before he killed Meeker, stopping and leaving only when that earlier victim fought back, according to News On 6. Rogers County District Attorney Matt Ballard, who is fighting to keep Rowbotham behind bars, described the Meeker killing as the most chilling account he has seen in his career. Ballard said Rowbotham hunted a young woman, took advantage of her innocence, and killed her, per the station's report.
Jan Johnson, speaking to the outlet, said Meeker's family and friends relive the killing every time Rowbotham comes up for parole. She said people want Meeker's memory to stay alive and want Rowbotham to never leave prison.
Family Mobilizes Ahead Of Hearing
This isn't Rowbotham's first bid for freedom. He previously requested commutation in 2016, submitting a written statement detailing his actions in the killing, according to a Facebook post referencing the case. Now, relatives of Beverly Meeker have publicly opposed his commutation.
Even if the board recommends commutation, the decision wouldn't be final. Under Oklahoma's clemency procedures, an incarcerated person must first receive a favorable recommendation from the five-member Pardon and Parole Board before the Governor has any legal authority to reduce a sentence or grant release, according to the N.Y.U. Review of Law & Social Change. Rowbotham faces that additional review before any possible release, meaning next week's hearing is only one step in a process Beverly Meeker's family has been fighting through for more than 50 years.
