Nov. 13, 2025
MOMENTS Before Tremane Wood’s Execution, Oklahoma’s Governor Grants Clemency!
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RSS Feed It was an exceptionally rare day in Oklahoma today. With just minutes to spare before Tremane Wood’s scheduled execution, Republican governor Kevin Stitt made the unusual move to accept the Pardon and Parole Board’s recommendation and commuted Wood’s death sentence to life without parole. Amy and T.J. have been following this case since the Parole Board made its decision, and after speaking with Wood’s family earlier in the week, share their thoughts on this decision that had nothing to do with guilt or innocence, but had everything to do with the fairness of our justice system and the wishes of the victim’s family.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey, there are folks. It is Thursday, November thirteenth, and he's just a little while ago. Actually, a man was sitting in a room next to a death chamber waiting to be taken in and executed. He had been served his last meal and he was minutes away from going into that death chamber when he got word that his life was being spared by the governor of Oklahoma. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes. We can't believe almost that this happened. These are so rare, and this is a case for whatever reason, we got very close to and interested in. Lo and behold today a man's life was.
00:00:44
Speaker 2: Spared, and within minutes it was as dramatic as it gets. And yes, we spoke with Tremaine Wood's family just two days ago. They could barely speak about his potential impending death without sobbing. Under Standably, we were on the edge of our seats waiting to see if the Governor of Oklahoma was going to go ahead and grant the clemency that a Pardon and Parole board had recommended the week before. And tick talk, tick talk, we were all the way up to ten at the East coast time, ten fifty seven, ten fifty eight. He was scheduled to die by lethal injection at eleven am Eastern time ten am local time, and just before it hit eleven here we got word.
00:01:35
Speaker 1: And we talked about this, Robes. I was saying to you, I mean, these are so rare that it does happen that the governor grant's clemency, And I said, you know the ones we've heard about oftentimes, it's not like we seen the movies, like they're somebody strapped to the chair and the phone rings on the wall. That's not usually how it goes down, but it can't. It went down like that to a great degree today. Now Tremaine Wood was sitting waiting to be executed. They had moved in to this holding cell essentially right next door to the death chamber, and that's where he had been. It was one of your first questions, rogues, when it had gotten so close to the hour, the execution hour, You like, good God, was he strapped to that gurney? Was he ready to be Was he in there? And then the call came that's not the case. I can't imagine how dramatic and what that would have felt like, but still what he went through today, can you imagine what that felt like?
00:02:28
Speaker 2: It had to be pretty close to that, short of being strapped to the gurney. He was in what they called death watch, and he'd been in death watch for a couple of days. Can you imagine eating the meal that you requested as your final meal, your last meal, knowing this most likely, I mean, you would have to prepare yourself mentally. And when we spoke to his mother and his nieces, they said he told them, whether they believed him or not, that he was ready to die. If that's what was meant to be, all of the mental olympics that must have been going on in his head. And yes, I was imagining being his mother, I was imagining being his nieces or anyone who loved him. And what this time we were spending our morning working and just I was trying to think about what they must be going through so to have the outcome that they were obviously hoping for, wishing for, praying for, but wanting not to be waiting for. And yet that moment came and you said it to me, The governor just granted clements.
00:03:33
Speaker 1: I could. I don't know, it's a case maybe that screams for this. I we'll share the governor's statement here in a moment, but it seems to be a case that screamed for mercy, taking a taking a moment, or even being humane if you will, to someone who is now not going to get out of jail for the rest of his life, who was admitted he was a part of this criming which somebody died. But again the argument that he wasn't necessarily the killer, all that stuff. The governor and I said it to you when I read the statement, I said, he struck the right. He sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulder. I know he's a governor. I don't mean it that way. What I'm saying is it sounded just level headed and from the head and heart was combined. And when I see a politician do that, I'll give them credit.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: It was amazing. And look, he was and is a Republican governor. And that should be pointed out because by and large, Republican governors tend to be pro death penalty, and so to have a Republican governor step in and grant clemency, it's rare enough for any governor to do so. But certainly for our Republican governor to do so.
00:04:40
Speaker 1: What is this sixteen? There have been sixteen executions under his watch, correct there in his term, but I always missed the number on the parole board versus he doesn't always go with what the para.
00:04:51
Speaker 2: So Tremaine included over his tenure of seven years as governor, the Pardons and Parole Board has recommended that five death sentences be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Before Tremaine, he had only agreed or granted that clemency once. So Tremaine makes it twice. So two out of the five times the Parole Board recommended clemency, he has now granted it. Now, it's rare for a Pardon's and Parole board to recommend clemency period. But obviously, as we look at so many states when the death penalty, since the death penalty has been reinstated, we have had dozens of inmates on death row actually exonerated. So look, I do appreciate, we appreciate when governors and leaders take their very important position seriously in moments of life or death, and it seems that this was the case with Governor stt Governor Kevin Stitt, and we mentioned the extenuating circumstances in this case. We have now this is our third podcast on this in pen execution, and there were a lot of reasons why the governor made the decision he made, and certainly a lot of folks were absolutely fighting for the life of Tremaine Wood.
00:06:14
Speaker 1: Look and part of what the argument that the governor may will share his full statement, but Tremaine Wood and his brother were part of a botched robbery in which a nineteen year old young man was killed. This was on New Year's Day two thousand and two. His brother was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Tremayne was sentenced to death two separate trials. Now, the argument here is twofold right for Tremain Wood. One of them is everybody agrees he got inadequate counsel. His council put in an embarrassing amount of hours logged, and there were substance abuse involved. Everybody agrees he got a very very bad lawyer. The other part of the story is that Tremaine would his brother as well said it was not Tremaine but the brother who actually stabbed the gentleman, ending up killing him. Now, Tremaine's brother has since died in prison by suicide, so he's not speaking about it anymore. But he spoke before he died and said it was him and not his brother. So the argument there, I mean, why is that fair that two guys same crime, The guy who says he killed the man gets life in prison, the guy who didn't actually do the killing gets death. Folks didn't think that made sense, Yes.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: And the governor agreed, And the big hang up was, actually it was the technicality in the juror instructions that ended up having or swaying the parole board to vote three to two to push for clemency versus the death penalty. And you know, the governor said he was going to take his time, as he does with all of these death penalty cases. He spoke to the Attorney General, who was adamant he wanted to see Tremaine Wood die by lethal injection, and he stands by that. He says he was disappointed in the governor's decision to grant clemency. He spoke to the victim's family and this was a big deal, and we know that publicly they have said that they did not want Tremaine Wood to die by lethal injection. They were against his execution, and so he spoke to that family as well, and that had to have been a powerful conversation. And then he spoke to Tremaine Wood's attorneys as well, who reiterated all of those points. We just made that he had clear and adequate, inept representation, and there were absolutely questions about how his case was handled in terms of what the jury heard, what they should consider when it came to issuing the death penalty or not.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: Do you have the governor's statement in front of you. I do, Governess did again. I've give him credit. This came out and all those things, but it sounds like he considered all of the things you would hope a governor will consider.
00:09:07
Speaker 2: Yes, So this is what the governor said just moments past eleven a m. Eastern time. Here, after a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and Parole Board's recommendation to commute Tremaine Wood sentence to life without parole. This action reflects the same punishment his brother received for their murder of an innocent young man and ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever. In Oklahoma, we continue to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes, delivering justice, safeguarding our communities, and respecting the rule of law. I pray for the family of Ronnie Wiffe and for the surviving victim, Arnie. They are models of Christian forgiveness and love. I love how he ended that, because that basically reflected the victim's families willingness to say we don't want Tremaine Wood to die.
00:10:03
Speaker 1: Every governor listening, if the family of the victim says, Governor, please don't kill this person, you gotta listen. I know a lot of governors you hear all the time. The people will have to do what the people want, and the people are the ones who say this person should die. Just that is the one voice. And it sounded like he listened to him and I I don't know, And there was a Most people will in a moment like this say how could you defend the murderer? How could you think about the victim's family? And they're not getting justice or closure. They're the ones who didn't want it to happen. They didn't so this should be and it's a weird thing to celebrate. And we talked about this robes because we were and we were emotional in getting the news. It seemed like someone would take it as how can you celebrate that this monster, this killer, this murderer is getting to live. That's not it if you just think of it, that a human beings life was spared today for whatever reason, that's got to be worth something. And I think we felt that more than we expected to feel that today.
00:11:13
Speaker 2: And no one is saying that Tremaine Wood should be freed, that he should be let go, that he deserves freedom. It's not that at all. He is going to be behind bars for the remainder of his life. But the question is whether or not his life can have value, whether or not his life can have meaning. And if you listen to our podcast couple back, where we spoke to his mother, we spoke to his young nieces, we would urge you to do so and decide for yourself after hearing from them.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, value, Yeah, there's value there. There's a lot going on and the family and challenges and he has been some steady presence in their lives. And you know what, you and I was wowed by it that the grandma was saying she was taking the kids to see him in prison when they were a month old, when they were babies, because she thought it was important for them and for him. She has fostered this relationship, this family dynamic. I thought that was a heroic of her.
00:12:22
Speaker 2: I do too, And one of the many things that got me, that really got me. Look, we all in this country want to break the cycle of violence, do we not? And when his mother said he told her one of the last times she saw him, and she didn't know if it was going to be the last time she saw him or was able to talk to him, he said, mom, I broke the cycle of violence. He has two sons who are now grown, he's got nieces, he's got nephews, there are great grandchildren now, and there are no troubles with the law. And he said, I am the cautionary tale. And through his example of saying, don't be me, stay in school, be kind, don't resort to violence, that message, at least to his inner circle, resonated. He was the example of what not to do. And he proudly wore that and encouraged And I mean, if you listen to his nieces. They worship him. And it's weird to think that young kids who seemingly have bright futures are looking up to their uncle or their relative who is a convicted murderer and who was on death row. That doesn't seem like a likely hero or a mentor. And yet if you listen to these young folks, he has been and that is pretty awesome by him being in prison. And he was kind of like, look where I am in my situation. It broke the cycle of violence in our family, and for that I'm grateful.
00:13:50
Speaker 1: It was the last thing he said to the parole board when he made his presentation. He asked them to see him as someone whose life has value. It was the last thing he said to them. And then we got a chance to talk to the nieces. I'm floored at how it happened. We used to talk about nineteen twenty three year old young women who this guy in prison is, as you just said, is everything to them. But folks, stay here, we're going to tell you just how rare, rare this is for a governor to give Clemensing will also tell you why, yes, folks, a life was spared today on death row. But tonight there is not a lot of hope that another execution in another state is going to get stopped. All right, folks, let me in DJ here continuing now with what was certainly to a certain degree surprising, rare, but great news at least for the family of Tremaine. Would death row in mate convicted murder scheduled to die at eleven am Eastern time today in Oklahoma, but minutes before he was to be taken into the death chamber, his life was spared by the governor the rogues. We talked to his mom and his nieces, like you said a couple of days ago. One of the things that struck me most one they had only contact visits. As they say, right, they get to visit him a little more often, but all of those aren't contact. You can actually give up heads through glass. And so the last time they got to see him this week was through glass, they said. The last time they had a contact visit I think was this summer, early summer. They got to hug him, but they hadn't had the death date yet, So they hugged him in June, not realizing that might be the last hug, and that jumped out at me. We were talking to them the other day.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: Statistically speaking, they look so when we spoke with Linda Would she didn't seem hopeful. She did not seem hopeful. She had, I think, prepared herself as much as you can as a mother that her second son was now going to die in prison, and you could see that she didn't even want to show any hope. It was almost like she didn't want to jinx it. I felt that from her. You could see it in her face as she spoke about her son and what was likely to happen. She was speaking as a mother who was preparing for her son to die. I did not see a lot of hope. I didn't see a lot of hope in the girls either, I really didn't. They were all preparing themselves for worst case scenario. Because statistically speaking, you look at the history of what governors have done in these moments and in these cases, even when clemency has been recommended, and that's rare in and of itself. This today was nothing short of a miracle. Honestly, I was thinking as I was looking, like I said, five minutes we did, I was like ten minutes, nine minutes, three minutes, and I was thinking, God, I hope, I hope that his family got word before all of us did. And it doesn't seem as though they did, I think, because every single news article said the last minute, the minute before all of like the clock was ticking and everybody was looking at it, and we didn't know until I don't think we saw or heard word until ten fifty nine.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Oh. We were kept refreshing, we were following every local Oklahoma news station, every local Oklahoma reporter.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: You had the governor's we signed on their Twitter. Everything up to the.
00:17:40
Speaker 1: Last second, there was absolutely nothing. And this came. We talked about rot. How rare this is. There have been forty one executionecutions in the country this year. That's the most sens what twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, Yes, and we've been talking about so and when there's another five I think scheduled for the rest of this year, one of them being tonight, another one tomorrow night. We'll speak on that in the second. But of those forty one executions robes, there were more scheduled. There were sixty two actual execution dates this year in the country. Now, some of them actually got rescheduled, some of them ended up a guy, one guy actually died, and then some of them are still to come. So that's why the number is different. Sixty two, we've only had forty one executions.
00:18:21
Speaker 2: But you say only yeap, that's a good point.
00:18:23
Speaker 1: View, that's a very good point. But five, only five of the sixty two scheduled executions this year did a court step in and stop them in Only five in zero until today did a governor step in and stop it.
00:18:42
Speaker 2: Wow. So this is just it's unheard of. It's exceptionally rare.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: It is very very rare, very very very rare. So he had a good case, he had a good cause, And I think this is just one of those where there's a question. This isn't a matter of guilt or innocence. This is right and wrong and fair and unfair and just and unjust, and you have to be just to all your citizens, including the ones that can make crimes. Yeah.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: The only other time that what we've been covering in terms of execution is Robert Robertson, that is a question of guilt or innocence. That was not the case with this. He is not denying being a part of the robbery and being in the room when the murder happened. And in the state of Oklahoma, it's it's much like the same rule that I'm very familiar with as having been a crime reporter in South Carolina, which is the hand of one is the hand of all. So if you're there when a murder happens, if you're taking part in a crime where the outcome is murder, you were just as culpable as the person who pulled the trigger or the person who wielded the knife.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: And some people will tell you there's a lot of sense in that law, and a lot of people tell you there's some nonsense in some cases in that law. But yes, to your point, so he's there just as guilty. But why is it that the other guy there's got it? Why aren't they getting the same damn sentence? Is that's a question of justice.
00:20:02
Speaker 2: It is a question of justice. Can you imagine? Though, Like I had said this before the break, we got word of what Tremaine Wood's last meal was, when we didn't know if he was going to be executed or not, and just hearing and I don't know why this is fascinating to so many of us. We always have these conversations, but to think about actually consuming what you think might be your last meal, and we have what his was, and to know like, wow, he's I wonder if he's eaten again since and how different those two meals have been, how different those two meals are. And I wonder what it's like the reception. You know, he has been isolated for quite some time now, as they often do when folks are about to be executed. I wonder because his family told us he was put into a cell right next to where they execute the prisoners. You're on death watch. You have access to nothing. They take everything from you except for one book and a tablet where they allow you to allege you contact your family, they said, for whatever reason, he was only able to contact one niece. But you are alone with your thoughts and your book period. Now he's going to be what reintroduced back into prison social life. I wow.
00:21:19
Speaker 1: I mean he has a new lease on life alive. He will never see free air the rest of his life. He never will, barring some miracle. But this was a part of the clemency, is that he can even request he is not allowed to go before the parole board again. He concedes that he will never get out of prison. So this is it. He gets a life. This is a young man by our.
00:21:42
Speaker 2: Twenty six he's younger than you, forty six years old. But now he can have those visits with his family, even if it's through glass. He can have his daily twenty minute conversation with his family, and there is value to that for his family. They call him the glue of their family, and I imagine now what he will be able. I hope. I hope for him, I hope for his family that this literal new lease on life. He was just given years. He was just given an opportunity that most people do not get, and it'll be interesting to see what he does with it. We want to follow up with the family. We actually are going to without a doubt, hopefully have at some point there I'm sure being inundated in a joyful way with lots of media requests, but we'll get them back on the podcast.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: They can sleep differently, and you didn't share. It's kind of it seems morbid, but it's it's human curiosity always because it always makes it always sparks a conversation right.
00:22:42
Speaker 2: Among folks in front of him.
00:22:45
Speaker 3: Yeah, he got he had a three piece fried catfish platter with oakrah and coleslaw, seven tartar sauce packets, seven hot sauce packets, so he probably mixed those all up.
00:22:58
Speaker 2: A pint of chocolate ice cream and a two leader of doctor Pepper. How many people can say they consumed their last meal and lived to see another day, another week, another.
00:23:09
Speaker 1: Year, another meal he's going to get to eat. I would like to know now his first meal, really that was his last. I would like to now know his first Folks will follow this one. And again a head's up, we might have more news on this front. As you all know, we've been covering a lot of but there's been extraordinary year when it comes to executions in this country. And we're talking about this one today was scheduled for this morning, but there is another one scheduled for tonight in Florida for someone who's guilt is not necessarily being questioned and people aren't rallying to oh, it's not questioned at all. Bear his life. That one's tonight, and there's another schedule for tomorrow Robes in South Carolina, and this is going to be another firing squad.
00:23:49
Speaker 2: When is Aaron This is going to be the third firing squad execution of the year for the state of South Carolina. We'll explain why that's become a popular mode of execution specifically in that state in that episode. But certainly, this is a moment that is exceptionally rare and certainly one that I know the Wood family is not taking lightly. This is a day for celebration for them. And look, it's not just a celebration for the Wood family, but I believe the victim's family as well, because they also had their wishes granted as well, and that's not often the case that they were able to at least, and I know that they know that what they told the governor had to have had a huge impact on his decision, and so they might sleep a little better tonight knowing that another senseless death didn't occur from that night back in two thousand and two.
00:24:45
Speaker 1: That's amazing. I did not think about that they were actively advocating for saving his life. Now that is some different level of humanity there. I didn't think, Wow, I'm glad you did that. At the end, I did not think about that is a beautiful thing, because you know that is what they had to have done. What a story from a tragedy. Hain't it rogues, folks. We always appreciate you spending some time with us. We're following this one. We'll talk to you all real soon. For now, on TJ Holmes on behalf of my Dear Amy Robot. Talk to you. Alsoon
Speaker 1: Hey, there are folks. It is Thursday, November thirteenth, and he's just a little while ago. Actually, a man was sitting in a room next to a death chamber waiting to be taken in and executed. He had been served his last meal and he was minutes away from going into that death chamber when he got word that his life was being spared by the governor of Oklahoma. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robes. We can't believe almost that this happened. These are so rare, and this is a case for whatever reason, we got very close to and interested in. Lo and behold today a man's life was.
00:00:44
Speaker 2: Spared, and within minutes it was as dramatic as it gets. And yes, we spoke with Tremaine Wood's family just two days ago. They could barely speak about his potential impending death without sobbing. Under Standably, we were on the edge of our seats waiting to see if the Governor of Oklahoma was going to go ahead and grant the clemency that a Pardon and Parole board had recommended the week before. And tick talk, tick talk, we were all the way up to ten at the East coast time, ten fifty seven, ten fifty eight. He was scheduled to die by lethal injection at eleven am Eastern time ten am local time, and just before it hit eleven here we got word.
00:01:35
Speaker 1: And we talked about this, Robes. I was saying to you, I mean, these are so rare that it does happen that the governor grant's clemency, And I said, you know the ones we've heard about oftentimes, it's not like we seen the movies, like they're somebody strapped to the chair and the phone rings on the wall. That's not usually how it goes down, but it can't. It went down like that to a great degree today. Now Tremaine Wood was sitting waiting to be executed. They had moved in to this holding cell essentially right next door to the death chamber, and that's where he had been. It was one of your first questions, rogues, when it had gotten so close to the hour, the execution hour, You like, good God, was he strapped to that gurney? Was he ready to be Was he in there? And then the call came that's not the case. I can't imagine how dramatic and what that would have felt like, but still what he went through today, can you imagine what that felt like?
00:02:28
Speaker 2: It had to be pretty close to that, short of being strapped to the gurney. He was in what they called death watch, and he'd been in death watch for a couple of days. Can you imagine eating the meal that you requested as your final meal, your last meal, knowing this most likely, I mean, you would have to prepare yourself mentally. And when we spoke to his mother and his nieces, they said he told them, whether they believed him or not, that he was ready to die. If that's what was meant to be, all of the mental olympics that must have been going on in his head. And yes, I was imagining being his mother, I was imagining being his nieces or anyone who loved him. And what this time we were spending our morning working and just I was trying to think about what they must be going through so to have the outcome that they were obviously hoping for, wishing for, praying for, but wanting not to be waiting for. And yet that moment came and you said it to me, The governor just granted clements.
00:03:33
Speaker 1: I could. I don't know, it's a case maybe that screams for this. I we'll share the governor's statement here in a moment, but it seems to be a case that screamed for mercy, taking a taking a moment, or even being humane if you will, to someone who is now not going to get out of jail for the rest of his life, who was admitted he was a part of this criming which somebody died. But again the argument that he wasn't necessarily the killer, all that stuff. The governor and I said it to you when I read the statement, I said, he struck the right. He sounds like he's got a good head on his shoulder. I know he's a governor. I don't mean it that way. What I'm saying is it sounded just level headed and from the head and heart was combined. And when I see a politician do that, I'll give them credit.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: It was amazing. And look, he was and is a Republican governor. And that should be pointed out because by and large, Republican governors tend to be pro death penalty, and so to have a Republican governor step in and grant clemency, it's rare enough for any governor to do so. But certainly for our Republican governor to do so.
00:04:40
Speaker 1: What is this sixteen? There have been sixteen executions under his watch, correct there in his term, but I always missed the number on the parole board versus he doesn't always go with what the para.
00:04:51
Speaker 2: So Tremaine included over his tenure of seven years as governor, the Pardons and Parole Board has recommended that five death sentences be commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Before Tremaine, he had only agreed or granted that clemency once. So Tremaine makes it twice. So two out of the five times the Parole Board recommended clemency, he has now granted it. Now, it's rare for a Pardon's and Parole board to recommend clemency period. But obviously, as we look at so many states when the death penalty, since the death penalty has been reinstated, we have had dozens of inmates on death row actually exonerated. So look, I do appreciate, we appreciate when governors and leaders take their very important position seriously in moments of life or death, and it seems that this was the case with Governor stt Governor Kevin Stitt, and we mentioned the extenuating circumstances in this case. We have now this is our third podcast on this in pen execution, and there were a lot of reasons why the governor made the decision he made, and certainly a lot of folks were absolutely fighting for the life of Tremaine Wood.
00:06:14
Speaker 1: Look and part of what the argument that the governor may will share his full statement, but Tremaine Wood and his brother were part of a botched robbery in which a nineteen year old young man was killed. This was on New Year's Day two thousand and two. His brother was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Tremayne was sentenced to death two separate trials. Now, the argument here is twofold right for Tremain Wood. One of them is everybody agrees he got inadequate counsel. His council put in an embarrassing amount of hours logged, and there were substance abuse involved. Everybody agrees he got a very very bad lawyer. The other part of the story is that Tremaine would his brother as well said it was not Tremaine but the brother who actually stabbed the gentleman, ending up killing him. Now, Tremaine's brother has since died in prison by suicide, so he's not speaking about it anymore. But he spoke before he died and said it was him and not his brother. So the argument there, I mean, why is that fair that two guys same crime, The guy who says he killed the man gets life in prison, the guy who didn't actually do the killing gets death. Folks didn't think that made sense, Yes.
00:07:40
Speaker 2: And the governor agreed, And the big hang up was, actually it was the technicality in the juror instructions that ended up having or swaying the parole board to vote three to two to push for clemency versus the death penalty. And you know, the governor said he was going to take his time, as he does with all of these death penalty cases. He spoke to the Attorney General, who was adamant he wanted to see Tremaine Wood die by lethal injection, and he stands by that. He says he was disappointed in the governor's decision to grant clemency. He spoke to the victim's family and this was a big deal, and we know that publicly they have said that they did not want Tremaine Wood to die by lethal injection. They were against his execution, and so he spoke to that family as well, and that had to have been a powerful conversation. And then he spoke to Tremaine Wood's attorneys as well, who reiterated all of those points. We just made that he had clear and adequate, inept representation, and there were absolutely questions about how his case was handled in terms of what the jury heard, what they should consider when it came to issuing the death penalty or not.
00:08:55
Speaker 1: Do you have the governor's statement in front of you. I do, Governess did again. I've give him credit. This came out and all those things, but it sounds like he considered all of the things you would hope a governor will consider.
00:09:07
Speaker 2: Yes, So this is what the governor said just moments past eleven a m. Eastern time. Here, after a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and Parole Board's recommendation to commute Tremaine Wood sentence to life without parole. This action reflects the same punishment his brother received for their murder of an innocent young man and ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever. In Oklahoma, we continue to hold accountable those who commit violent crimes, delivering justice, safeguarding our communities, and respecting the rule of law. I pray for the family of Ronnie Wiffe and for the surviving victim, Arnie. They are models of Christian forgiveness and love. I love how he ended that, because that basically reflected the victim's families willingness to say we don't want Tremaine Wood to die.
00:10:03
Speaker 1: Every governor listening, if the family of the victim says, Governor, please don't kill this person, you gotta listen. I know a lot of governors you hear all the time. The people will have to do what the people want, and the people are the ones who say this person should die. Just that is the one voice. And it sounded like he listened to him and I I don't know, And there was a Most people will in a moment like this say how could you defend the murderer? How could you think about the victim's family? And they're not getting justice or closure. They're the ones who didn't want it to happen. They didn't so this should be and it's a weird thing to celebrate. And we talked about this robes because we were and we were emotional in getting the news. It seemed like someone would take it as how can you celebrate that this monster, this killer, this murderer is getting to live. That's not it if you just think of it, that a human beings life was spared today for whatever reason, that's got to be worth something. And I think we felt that more than we expected to feel that today.
00:11:13
Speaker 2: And no one is saying that Tremaine Wood should be freed, that he should be let go, that he deserves freedom. It's not that at all. He is going to be behind bars for the remainder of his life. But the question is whether or not his life can have value, whether or not his life can have meaning. And if you listen to our podcast couple back, where we spoke to his mother, we spoke to his young nieces, we would urge you to do so and decide for yourself after hearing from them.
00:11:44
Speaker 1: Yeah, value, Yeah, there's value there. There's a lot going on and the family and challenges and he has been some steady presence in their lives. And you know what, you and I was wowed by it that the grandma was saying she was taking the kids to see him in prison when they were a month old, when they were babies, because she thought it was important for them and for him. She has fostered this relationship, this family dynamic. I thought that was a heroic of her.
00:12:22
Speaker 2: I do too, And one of the many things that got me, that really got me. Look, we all in this country want to break the cycle of violence, do we not? And when his mother said he told her one of the last times she saw him, and she didn't know if it was going to be the last time she saw him or was able to talk to him, he said, mom, I broke the cycle of violence. He has two sons who are now grown, he's got nieces, he's got nephews, there are great grandchildren now, and there are no troubles with the law. And he said, I am the cautionary tale. And through his example of saying, don't be me, stay in school, be kind, don't resort to violence, that message, at least to his inner circle, resonated. He was the example of what not to do. And he proudly wore that and encouraged And I mean, if you listen to his nieces. They worship him. And it's weird to think that young kids who seemingly have bright futures are looking up to their uncle or their relative who is a convicted murderer and who was on death row. That doesn't seem like a likely hero or a mentor. And yet if you listen to these young folks, he has been and that is pretty awesome by him being in prison. And he was kind of like, look where I am in my situation. It broke the cycle of violence in our family, and for that I'm grateful.
00:13:50
Speaker 1: It was the last thing he said to the parole board when he made his presentation. He asked them to see him as someone whose life has value. It was the last thing he said to them. And then we got a chance to talk to the nieces. I'm floored at how it happened. We used to talk about nineteen twenty three year old young women who this guy in prison is, as you just said, is everything to them. But folks, stay here, we're going to tell you just how rare, rare this is for a governor to give Clemensing will also tell you why, yes, folks, a life was spared today on death row. But tonight there is not a lot of hope that another execution in another state is going to get stopped. All right, folks, let me in DJ here continuing now with what was certainly to a certain degree surprising, rare, but great news at least for the family of Tremaine. Would death row in mate convicted murder scheduled to die at eleven am Eastern time today in Oklahoma, but minutes before he was to be taken into the death chamber, his life was spared by the governor the rogues. We talked to his mom and his nieces, like you said a couple of days ago. One of the things that struck me most one they had only contact visits. As they say, right, they get to visit him a little more often, but all of those aren't contact. You can actually give up heads through glass. And so the last time they got to see him this week was through glass, they said. The last time they had a contact visit I think was this summer, early summer. They got to hug him, but they hadn't had the death date yet, So they hugged him in June, not realizing that might be the last hug, and that jumped out at me. We were talking to them the other day.
00:15:56
Speaker 2: Statistically speaking, they look so when we spoke with Linda Would she didn't seem hopeful. She did not seem hopeful. She had, I think, prepared herself as much as you can as a mother that her second son was now going to die in prison, and you could see that she didn't even want to show any hope. It was almost like she didn't want to jinx it. I felt that from her. You could see it in her face as she spoke about her son and what was likely to happen. She was speaking as a mother who was preparing for her son to die. I did not see a lot of hope. I didn't see a lot of hope in the girls either, I really didn't. They were all preparing themselves for worst case scenario. Because statistically speaking, you look at the history of what governors have done in these moments and in these cases, even when clemency has been recommended, and that's rare in and of itself. This today was nothing short of a miracle. Honestly, I was thinking as I was looking, like I said, five minutes we did, I was like ten minutes, nine minutes, three minutes, and I was thinking, God, I hope, I hope that his family got word before all of us did. And it doesn't seem as though they did, I think, because every single news article said the last minute, the minute before all of like the clock was ticking and everybody was looking at it, and we didn't know until I don't think we saw or heard word until ten fifty nine.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Oh. We were kept refreshing, we were following every local Oklahoma news station, every local Oklahoma reporter.
00:17:36
Speaker 2: You had the governor's we signed on their Twitter. Everything up to the.
00:17:40
Speaker 1: Last second, there was absolutely nothing. And this came. We talked about rot. How rare this is. There have been forty one executionecutions in the country this year. That's the most sens what twenty fourteen, twenty fifteen, Yes, and we've been talking about so and when there's another five I think scheduled for the rest of this year, one of them being tonight, another one tomorrow night. We'll speak on that in the second. But of those forty one executions robes, there were more scheduled. There were sixty two actual execution dates this year in the country. Now, some of them actually got rescheduled, some of them ended up a guy, one guy actually died, and then some of them are still to come. So that's why the number is different. Sixty two, we've only had forty one executions.
00:18:21
Speaker 2: But you say only yeap, that's a good point.
00:18:23
Speaker 1: View, that's a very good point. But five, only five of the sixty two scheduled executions this year did a court step in and stop them in Only five in zero until today did a governor step in and stop it.
00:18:42
Speaker 2: Wow. So this is just it's unheard of. It's exceptionally rare.
00:18:46
Speaker 1: It is very very rare, very very very rare. So he had a good case, he had a good cause, And I think this is just one of those where there's a question. This isn't a matter of guilt or innocence. This is right and wrong and fair and unfair and just and unjust, and you have to be just to all your citizens, including the ones that can make crimes. Yeah.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: The only other time that what we've been covering in terms of execution is Robert Robertson, that is a question of guilt or innocence. That was not the case with this. He is not denying being a part of the robbery and being in the room when the murder happened. And in the state of Oklahoma, it's it's much like the same rule that I'm very familiar with as having been a crime reporter in South Carolina, which is the hand of one is the hand of all. So if you're there when a murder happens, if you're taking part in a crime where the outcome is murder, you were just as culpable as the person who pulled the trigger or the person who wielded the knife.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: And some people will tell you there's a lot of sense in that law, and a lot of people tell you there's some nonsense in some cases in that law. But yes, to your point, so he's there just as guilty. But why is it that the other guy there's got it? Why aren't they getting the same damn sentence? Is that's a question of justice.
00:20:02
Speaker 2: It is a question of justice. Can you imagine? Though, Like I had said this before the break, we got word of what Tremaine Wood's last meal was, when we didn't know if he was going to be executed or not, and just hearing and I don't know why this is fascinating to so many of us. We always have these conversations, but to think about actually consuming what you think might be your last meal, and we have what his was, and to know like, wow, he's I wonder if he's eaten again since and how different those two meals have been, how different those two meals are. And I wonder what it's like the reception. You know, he has been isolated for quite some time now, as they often do when folks are about to be executed. I wonder because his family told us he was put into a cell right next to where they execute the prisoners. You're on death watch. You have access to nothing. They take everything from you except for one book and a tablet where they allow you to allege you contact your family, they said, for whatever reason, he was only able to contact one niece. But you are alone with your thoughts and your book period. Now he's going to be what reintroduced back into prison social life. I wow.
00:21:19
Speaker 1: I mean he has a new lease on life alive. He will never see free air the rest of his life. He never will, barring some miracle. But this was a part of the clemency, is that he can even request he is not allowed to go before the parole board again. He concedes that he will never get out of prison. So this is it. He gets a life. This is a young man by our.
00:21:42
Speaker 2: Twenty six he's younger than you, forty six years old. But now he can have those visits with his family, even if it's through glass. He can have his daily twenty minute conversation with his family, and there is value to that for his family. They call him the glue of their family, and I imagine now what he will be able. I hope. I hope for him, I hope for his family that this literal new lease on life. He was just given years. He was just given an opportunity that most people do not get, and it'll be interesting to see what he does with it. We want to follow up with the family. We actually are going to without a doubt, hopefully have at some point there I'm sure being inundated in a joyful way with lots of media requests, but we'll get them back on the podcast.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: They can sleep differently, and you didn't share. It's kind of it seems morbid, but it's it's human curiosity always because it always makes it always sparks a conversation right.
00:22:42
Speaker 2: Among folks in front of him.
00:22:45
Speaker 3: Yeah, he got he had a three piece fried catfish platter with oakrah and coleslaw, seven tartar sauce packets, seven hot sauce packets, so he probably mixed those all up.
00:22:58
Speaker 2: A pint of chocolate ice cream and a two leader of doctor Pepper. How many people can say they consumed their last meal and lived to see another day, another week, another.
00:23:09
Speaker 1: Year, another meal he's going to get to eat. I would like to know now his first meal, really that was his last. I would like to now know his first Folks will follow this one. And again a head's up, we might have more news on this front. As you all know, we've been covering a lot of but there's been extraordinary year when it comes to executions in this country. And we're talking about this one today was scheduled for this morning, but there is another one scheduled for tonight in Florida for someone who's guilt is not necessarily being questioned and people aren't rallying to oh, it's not questioned at all. Bear his life. That one's tonight, and there's another schedule for tomorrow Robes in South Carolina, and this is going to be another firing squad.
00:23:49
Speaker 2: When is Aaron This is going to be the third firing squad execution of the year for the state of South Carolina. We'll explain why that's become a popular mode of execution specifically in that state in that episode. But certainly, this is a moment that is exceptionally rare and certainly one that I know the Wood family is not taking lightly. This is a day for celebration for them. And look, it's not just a celebration for the Wood family, but I believe the victim's family as well, because they also had their wishes granted as well, and that's not often the case that they were able to at least, and I know that they know that what they told the governor had to have had a huge impact on his decision, and so they might sleep a little better tonight knowing that another senseless death didn't occur from that night back in two thousand and two.
00:24:45
Speaker 1: That's amazing. I did not think about that they were actively advocating for saving his life. Now that is some different level of humanity there. I didn't think, Wow, I'm glad you did that. At the end, I did not think about that is a beautiful thing, because you know that is what they had to have done. What a story from a tragedy. Hain't it rogues, folks. We always appreciate you spending some time with us. We're following this one. We'll talk to you all real soon. For now, on TJ Holmes on behalf of my Dear Amy Robot. Talk to you. Alsoon