Oklahoma Governor Grants Clemency, Spares Death Row Inmate

Thu Nov 13 2025 21:22:27 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a surprising move, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt commuted the sentence of Tremane Wood from death row to life in prison without the possibility of parole shortly before his scheduled execution.

Oklahoma's Governor Kevin Stitt has commuted the death sentence of Tremane Wood to life in prison without the possibility of parole, marking only the second clemency granted during his tenure. Wood was originally sentenced for the stabbing death of Ronnie Wipf during a botched robbery in 2002. The decision has sparked reactions from various stakeholders, with Governor Stitt supporting the clemency based on review recommendations while state Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed disappointment. Wood's case raised concerns about trial representation, and testimonies highlighted the complex nature of his involvement in the crime.

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) — In a significant decision, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has spared the life of death row inmate Tremane Wood, commuting his sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole just hours before his scheduled execution.

Wood, 46, was sentenced to death for the 2002 stabbing of Ronnie Wipf, a 19-year-old migrant farmworker, during an attempted robbery at a hotel in north Oklahoma City. This marks only the second clemency the governor has issued in nearly seven years in office.

After a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation to commute Tremane Wood’s sentence to life without parole, Stitt said in his announcement.

The governor emphasized that this decision aligns Wood's punishment with that of his brother, who received life without parole for the same crime. He further stated that Wood would not be eligible for parole or any form of clemency for the length of his life.

The recommendation for clemency came from Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board, which voted 3-2 last week in support of commuting Wood's sentence, citing the need to carefully evaluate the facts surrounding the case.

While the decision has been embraced by Wood's legal team and Wipf's family, it has drawn criticism from state Attorney General Gentner Drummond, who expressed his disappointment. I am disappointed that the governor has granted clemency for this dangerous murderer, but I respect that this was his decision to make, Drummond remarked.

Tremane Wood's attorney, Amanda Bass Castro Alves, expressed gratitude for the governor's decision, highlighting how it honors the wishes of the victim's family and aims to provide them peace. Wood, speaking from prison, accepted responsibility for his role in the robbery but denied being the one who inflicted the fatal blow.

Concerns surrounding the fairness of Wood’s original trial were also raised, with his team citing ineffective legal representation and unreported benefits given to witnesses in exchange for their testimony. Previous attempts to block the execution based on these issues were denied by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The case continues to highlight the complexities surrounding the death penalty and the justice system in Oklahoma, stirring ongoing discussions about clemency and criminal justice reform.