US man Julius Jones’ execution halted at last minute

The death-row inmate had been due to die by lethal injection for a 22-year-old murder in which doubts about his guilt have been raised

His sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt

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Julius Jones was convicted of murder for a 1999 killing. Photo: Oklahoma Department of Corrections via AP

Published: 5:50am, 19 Nov 2021Updated: 7:22pm, 19 Nov 2021

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Thursday halted the high-profile execution of death-row inmate Julius Jones, hours before he was expected to die for a 22-year-old murder in which doubts about his guilt have been raised.

The governor’s eleventh-hour reprieve followed the clemency recommendation of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which voted 3-1 on November 1 that Jones’ sentence should be commuted to life in prison.

“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.

The commutation was filed just over four hours before Jones was to die by lethal injection of a three-drug cocktail that his lawyers had challenged as inhumane in a separate last-minute appeal.

A protester celebrates with supporters while Dr Tiffany Crutcher and Reverend T. Sheri Dickerson hug outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after hearing that Julius Jones was granted a stay of execution on Thursday. Photo: Tulsa World via AP)

Jones, 41, was convicted of fatally shooting insurance executive Paul Howell during a 1999 carjacking in his driveway.