Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has granted clemency to death row inmate Tremane Wood, commuting his sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This decision came just before Wood, 46, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Thursday.
Wood had been convicted of first-degree murder in 2004 for his involvement in the fatal stabbing of farmworker Ronnie Wipf during a robbery. However, Wood’s defense team and the victim’s family contested his execution, with the victim’s relatives expressing opposition to the death penalty.
Governor Stitt explained his decision, saying, “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.” This marks the second time Stitt has granted clemency to a death row inmate since taking office in 2019.
Wood’s lawyers have acknowledged that he was part of the robbery on New Year’s Eve in 2001 but denied that he was the one who stabbed Wipf at an Oklahoma City motel. Wood’s older brother, Zjaiton Wood, pleaded guilty to the murder and passed away in prison in 2019. Governor Stitt remarked that this clemency reflects the same punishment as his brother received, keeping a violent offender off the streets for good.
Wood’s attorney, Amanda Bass Castro-Alves, expressed gratitude for the clemency decision, praising Governor Stitt for his moral courage and leadership. “This decision honors the wishes of Mr. Wipf’s family and the surviving victim, and we hope it allows them a measure of peace,” she told BBC News.
The defense also argued that Wood’s trial had been unfair, citing claims of ineffective defense by his original attorney, John Barry Albert, who struggled with drug and alcohol addiction at the time. In 2006, Oklahoma’s Supreme Court briefly suspended Albert’s law license due to his substance abuse.
Earlier this month, the state’s parole board voted 3-2 in favor of clemency instead of execution. Wipf’s family and his friend, Arnold Kleinsasser, who survived the robbery, supported the recommendation. Governor Stitt commended their forgiveness, stating, “I pray for the family of Ronnie Wipf and for the surviving victim, Arnie; they are models of Christian forgiveness and love.”
Despite the clemency, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond expressed disappointment, emphasizing that his office would continue efforts to keep Wood incarcerated. “My office will continue working to ensure that Tremane Wood remains behind bars and that the public is protected from him,” Drummond stated.
Oklahoma has executed two prisoners so far this year, with four executions carried out in 2024, according to a tracker by the Death Penalty Information Center.
