Double Murder Convict Executed in Oklahoma

A man sentenced for double murder was executed by lethal injection at an Oklahoma state prison on Tuesday, observed by the victims’ relatives. They later expressed discomfort, noting that the smile he wore in the death chamber resembled one that had haunted them for two decades.

Kendrick Simpson, 45, was found guilty of the fatal shootings of Anthony Jones, aged 19, and Glenn Palmer, 20, during a confrontation at a nightclub in Oklahoma City back in 2006.

Inside the death chamber, Simpson proclaimed, “I love you all,” before thanking those present for their support.

His spiritual advisor, Rev. Don Heath, recited scripture during the execution, which lasted under 15 minutes. Medical staff reported that Simpson lost consciousness within approximately five minutes and was later declared dead.

Victims’ family members who witnessed the execution shared their unease regarding Simpson’s demeanor. Crystal Allison, Palmer’s sister, remarked, “He had the same smile on his deathbed that had haunted me for 20 years.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a statement, hoping the execution would provide “some peace” to the families who’ve endured immense pain for the last two decades. “Justice has been served for Glenn Palmer and Anthony Jones. Their young lives were taken far too soon,” he stated.

Reportedly, Simpson’s last meal consisted of a bacon cheeseburger, large onion rings, and a strawberry milkshake.

In 2006, prosecutors said Simpson and his friends chased Palmer and Jones from a gas station, eventually shooting at their car and fatally wounding them.

Simpson’s lawyers argued that he had PTSD stemming from disruptions caused by Hurricane Katrina, which displaced him from New Orleans to Oklahoma City. It was also noted that he had survived being shot in a drive-by incident in New Orleans back in 2004.

During a pardon hearing in January, Simpson expressed regret for the killings, stating, “I make no excuses. I don’t blame others. They don’t deserve what happened to them.”

The Oklahoma Board of Pardons and Paroles denied clemency, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in halting the execution.

This marked Oklahoma’s first execution of the year and the second nationwide in 2023.

On the same day, Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was sentenced to death in Florida for a 1989 murder committed during an attempted armed robbery.