The death sentence of Julius Jones has been commuted by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
In a statement shared Thursday, which is the same day Jones had been scheduled for execution, Stitt said he made the decision following “prayerful consideration” and a review of the case. Jones, convicted of first-degree murder, has maintained his innocence for more than 20 years in connection with the 1999 killing of Paul Howell.
“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.
Pointed out in the press release from Stitt’s office is that the Oklahoma Constitution gives a governor the ability to grant commutations, adding that—“pursuant to that provision”—Stitt has now ordered for Jones to not be eligible to apply for additional commutation, pardon, or parole “for the remainder of his life.”
Per a report from the Associated Press, Oklahoma’s Pardon and Parole Board recommended earlier this month that Jones’ sentence be commuted to life in prison. Notably, multiple panel members also questioned the evidence used to convict Jones for the murder.
Earlier this week, Kim Kardashian West and J. Cole further boosted awareness around Jones’ case, which previously received nationwide attention thanks to the 2018 ABC docuseries The Last Defense. On Nov. 15, per Kardashian, Jones’ family received invitations to the scheduled execution.
In a statement to the Oklahoman, Jones’ attorney Amanda Bass said Stitt’s decision on Thursday marked an “important step” while also acknowledging that the family had hoped the governor would have agreed to a board recommendation that included the possibility of parole.
Students earlier this week staged walkout protests in support of Jones at multiple high schools in the state.
