Oklahoma City – Federal prosecutors have declared their intention to pursue the death penalty against an inmate accused of strangling his cellmate at the federal transfer center in Oklahoma City.
Robert Troster, a U.S. attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma, has submitted a notice to seek this penalty for 27-year-old Jasper Reed.
A federal jury in Oklahoma City has brought a three-count indictment against Reed, charging him with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and assault leading to serious injury.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons operates a facility that houses around 1,400 male and female inmates, serving as a primary hub for transporting federal prisoners nationwide.
Reports indicate that Reed, who previously served time for a firearms offense in New Mexico, assaulted a cellmate on April 27, 2024, according to court documents.
Corrections officials allegedly witnessed him attacking another inmate, noted by visible injuries around their necks and blood present, before they were separated, as detailed in an affidavit.
Other inmates reportedly endured multiple facial and neck fractures yet managed to survive the incidents.
On May 8, 2024, Reed was placed in a cell with another inmate, known by the initials RP. An autopsy later confirmed that this inmate’s death resulted from manual strangulation.
Reed’s attorneys from the federal public defender’s office have opted not to comment on the matter.
In a related context, shortly after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, he signed a significant executive order concerning the death penalty. This directive instructed the U.S. Attorney General to “take necessary and legal actions” to ensure states have sufficient supplies of lethal injection drugs for executions.
This order intends to assist the Justice Department in seeking the death penalty in relevant federal cases while also addressing challenges faced by states in maintaining access to necessary execution supplies.
Federal enforcement had been in limbo since a suspension implemented in 2021 by former Attorney General Merrick Garland prior to Trump’s election. Currently, only three defendants remain in the federal death row after President Joe Biden commuted 37 sentences to prison terms.
