Latest news with #OklahomaPardonandParoleBoard
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Panel denies clemency for Oklahoma killer
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday voted to deny clemency for John Fitzgerald Hanson, who is set to die June 12 for the 1999 slaying of Mary Bowles. (Getty Images) (This image cannot be republished unless you have a Getty subscription.) OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board on Wednesday voted 3-2 to decline to recommend clemency for Tulsa County killer John Fitzgerald Hanson. Hanson, also known as George John Hanson, is set to die June 12 by lethal injection at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester. He was sentenced to death for the 1999 shooting death of Mary Bowles, 77, a retired bank executive whom he and his accomplice, Jerald Thurman, abducted from a Tulsa mall. Bowles was shot four to six times and found at a dirt pit near Owasso. A bystander, Jerald Thurman, was also killed. 'Now is the time for him to atone for the pain and suffering he has wrought,' said Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. 'Justice will be delivered when the death penalty is rightly served on June 12.' George John Hanson, also known as John Fitzgerald Hanson, was sentenced to death for the 1999 murder of Mary Bowles. (Photo provided by the Oklahoma Department of Corrections) Hanson was homeless, developmentally disabled and didn't get a fair shot at presenting mitigating evidence, said Callie Heller, his attorney. 'As of today, three jurors have come forward with concerns about their death verdict after learning the facts they never heard at trial,' she said. Hanson has expressed remorse and taken responsibility for his role in the crime, she said. A more culpable defendant is serving life, she said. Hanson, who was imprisoned for an unrelated crime in Louisiana, was transferred in March to Oklahoma so his execution could be carried out. The transfer had previously been blocked by the Democrat Joe Biden's administration, but Republican Donald Trump's administration cleared the way for Hanson's transfer back to Oklahoma. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pardon and Parole Board votes to deny clemency for death row inmate John Hanson
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted to deny clemency for death row inmate John Hanson on Wednesday, May 7. Officials say Hanson and an accomplice carjacked and kidnapped 77-year-old Mary Bowles in Tulsa in 1999. Before she was shot to death, Hanson and his accomplice shot Jerald Thurman, an innocent bystander. LOCAL NEWS: Police searching for suspects after shooting leaves one injured in NW OKC 'The families of Mary Bowles and Jerald Thurman have waited more than a quarter-century to see justice carried out against this callous murderer,' Drummond said. 'I appreciate the Pardon and Parole Board for rejecting clemency today. The Biden Administration protected this monster from justice for too long. Now is the time for him to atone for the pain and suffering he has wrought. Justice will be delivered when the death penalty is rightly served on June 12.' According to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Hanson was transferred from a Louisiana federal prison in March at his request. 'We heard that John Hanson is a changed man, a responsible and trustworthy member of his prison community and that he expresses remorse for the senseless murder of Mary Bowles. By refusing mercy, the State will now carry out the senseless killing of John Hanson.' responded Rev. Don Heath, Oklahoma Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty Chair. Hanson's execution date is set for June 12, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Oklahoma City.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Former Oklahoma pharmacist convicted of murder moved to medical facility
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A former Oklahoma pharmacist who is now spending life in prison for murder was moved to a medical facility. Jerome Ersland is serving a life sentence after being convicted of murdering a teen during a robbery at Reliable Pharmacy in 2009. Video surveillance of the robbery shows Ersland shooting the teen before leaving the store to chase a second suspect involved. He would return to the store and shoot the teen five more times. Commutation denied for Oklahoma pharmacist convicted of murder Last month, Ersland went before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board to ask for his sentence to be commuted. In the commutation application, Ersland said he wanted to spend time with his family before he dies. I will die in prison as I am 72 years old…and not eligible for parole until I'm 100. I would like to see my other two children before I die. I will never commit any other crime. I'd move back to my hometown and spend time with family and friends. Written statement on Jerome Ersland's communtation application The Oklahoma Department of Corrections has confirmed that he has been moved to a prison medical facility. Due to HIPAA Privacy Laws, the department cannot say why. Ersland is not eligible for parole until 2049. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
