![]() ![]() Will Joyce, mayor of Stillwater, took to Twitter to express his support for the Pardon and Parole Board's recommendation that Stitt grant Jones clemency on Wednesday, the day before Stitt made his decision to reduce Jones' sentence. Howell's sister, who witnessed her brother's murder, maintains that she saw Jones fire the gun - Jones' DNA was later found on a bandana the gun used to kill Howell was wrapped in. Jones' mother, Madeline Davis-Jones, has been one of his most outspoken supporters, asserting that Jones was with her at home during the time of Howell's murder. Jones' mother among those who protested his innocence Jones was 19 at the time of the murder and still maintains his innocence, offering instead that co-collaborator Christopher Jordan committed the crime and framed Jones by placing the murder weapon in Jones' parents' house. Jones, 41, has been on death row since 2002, when he was convicted for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell. Under that scenario, Jones would have immediately been eligible for parole on his murder conviction. Stitt's decision veers from the Pardon and Parole Board's recommendation to reduce Jones' sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole. "After prayerful consideration and reviewing materials presented by all sides of this case, I have determined to commute Julius Jones' sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole," Stitt said in a statement.Īs a condition of granting clemency, Stitt ordered that Jones shall never be eligible to apply for or be considered for a commutation, pardon, or parole for the rest of his life. local time Thursday for the 1999 murder of Paul Howell.įollowing a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, Stitt on Thursday granted clemency to Jones, reducing the inmate's sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jones had been scheduled for execution at 4 p.m. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has spared the life of high-profile death row inmate Julius Jones by reducing his sentence from the death penalty to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has the final say.įor NPR News in Oklahoma City, I'm Quinton Chandler. And we're asking that Governor Stitt do this immediately.ĬHANDLER: If the Pardon and Parole Board agrees to give Jones a hearing, he will be one step closer to freedom. UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: We are also asking for the granting of clemency and immediate release of wrongfully charged and convicted member of our community, our brother, Julius Jones. No peace.ĬHANDLER: His name was one of those chanted during Black Lives Matter protests last summer. UNIDENTIFIED PROTESTERS: (Chanting) No justice. There are hundreds of pages of court documents arguing for and against Jones. Baich, his attorney, alleges his co-defendant planted that evidence when he spent the night at the house. ![]() Prosecutors point to the murder weapon and a red bandanna the gunman is believed to have worn being found inside the home of Jones' parents. He murdered Paul Howell, and he needs to be held accountable.ĬHANDLER: The case has been profiled in a TV network documentary and has garnered support from multiple celebrities. He says the case against Jones is overwhelming. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter has said Jones' supporters are twisting the facts in a campaign to get him out of prison. ![]() They cited researchers who found, in 2017, nonwhite defendants in Oklahoma convicted of murdering white victims were much more likely to receive the death penalty. The defense team highlighted that accusation on appeal. Court documents also show there were questions whether a juror referred to Jones with a racist slur. Baich says they didn't have murder trial experience and didn't adequately defend him. One of Jones' attorneys, Dale Baich, calls the state's case against his client flimsy.ĭALE BAICH: We have identified three individuals who said that the co-defendant confessed to them that he committed the murder and that Julius had nothing to do with the murder.ĬHANDLER: There are also questions about Jones' former attorneys. Thirty-eight people have been exonerated in the state over the past 30 years. ![]() Jones' supporters believe he is one more innocent man wrongly convicted. He was convicted of murdering Paul Howell in 1999 and stealing his car. QUINTON CHANDLER, BYLINE: Julius Jones has been behind bars for more than 20 years. Quinton Chandler with StateImpact Oklahoma reports. This case is raising questions over questionable evidence and systemic racism. Quinton Chandler with StateImpact Oklahoma reports. An Oklahoma man on death row is making one more bid for his freedom today before the state's Pardon and Parole Board. An Oklahoma man on death row is making one more bid for his freedom today before the state's Pardon and Parole Board. ![]()
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