Nov. 6
OKLAHOMA----execution
Okla. inmate executed for fiancee's 1986 killing
An Oklahoma man who was put to death Tuesday evening despite claims that he was
insane spent his final moments rambling about the presidential election and
appeared startled when a prison official announced the start of the execution.
Garry Thomas Allen, 56, was executed for the 1986 killing of his fiancee,
24-year-old Lawanna Gail Titsworth, outside an Oklahoma City day care. His
attorneys had argued that Allen shouldn't be put to death because he couldn't
understand the judgment against him.
Allen appeared confused moments after prison officials lifted a curtain
separating the death chamber from witnesses. Slurring his words, Allen spoke
for 2 minutes in an address that mentioned both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.
His execution was held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, 1 hour before polls closed in
Oklahoma.
"Obama won 2 out of 3 counties," Allen said. "It's going to be a very close
race."
At 6:02 p.m., a prison official announced that the execution was about to
begin.
"What? Huh?" Allen said.
When the drugs began to flow, Allen grunted several times and wiggled his feet
as the life slowly left him. He was pronounced dead at 6:10 p.m.
Titsworth had moved out of the home she shared with Allen and their 2 sons 4
days before her death. Allen confronted Titsworth outside the day care and shot
her twice in the chest. She ran with a center employee toward the building, but
Allen pushed the worker away, shoved Titsworth down some steps and shot her
twice more in the back, according to court records.
Titsworth's sister-in-law, Susan Titsworth, issued a statement after the
execution on behalf of the family.
"Our beloved Gail, daughter, sister and mother of 2 young boys, was taken from
our family tragically and senselessly due to domestic violence," the statement
said. "For over 25 years, we have waited for justice to be served and for this
sentence to be carried out. We are thankful to close the book on this chapter
today but we will never stop grieving the loss of Gail."
A police officer responding to a 911 call tussled with Allen before shooting
him in the face, according to court documents. Allen was hospitalized for about
2 months with injuries to his face, left eye and brain.
Allen entered a blind guilty plea to 1st-degree murder, meaning he had not
reached a plea deal with prosecutors and did not know what the sentence would
be. A judge sentenced him to die.
Allen's attorneys argued he was not competent enough to enter the plea. They
also contended he was mentally impaired when he killed Titsworth, that he had
been self-medicating for a mental illness and that his mental condition became
worse on death row. The U.S. Constitution forbids the execution of inmates who
are insane or mentally incompetent.
A judge halted Allen's original May 19, 2005, execution after a psychological
examination at the prison indicated Allen had mental problems. 3 years later, a
jury rejected Allen's claims he should not be put to death.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board had voted in April 2005 to recommend that
Allen's death sentence be commuted to life without parole. That clemency
recommendation wasn't acted on until this year, when Republican Gov. Mary
Fallin denied it.
Allen becomes the 5th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in
Oklahoma, and the 101st overall since the state resumed capital punishment in
1990.
Allen becomes the 36th condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA
and the 1313th overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977,
when Gary Gilmore was put to death in the Utah State Penitentiary by a firing
squad.
(sources: Huffington Post & Rick Halperin)
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