The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 4-1 on Wednesday to deny clemency for Wendell Grissom, who was sentenced to death for shooting a woman while she was cradling a baby in her arms.

Grissom, 56, was convicted in the 2005 murder of Amber Dawn Matthews, who was shot while she protected her friend’s children during a home invasion near Watonga. A jury also convicted Jessie Johns, Grissom’s accomplice in the crime. The Blaine County District Attorney’s Office initially sought the death penalty for Johns, but later dropped it and Johns was eventually sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Grissom broke into Dreu Kopf’s home in November 2005 and shot her three times, according to prosecutors. 

Grissom then chased after Matthews, 23, who shielded the children from the bullets. He shot Matthews twice in the head.

Kopf heard the gunshots and assumed Grissom had killed her two young daughters. She escaped to get help, taking Grissom’s truck and flagging down a truck driver. 

Assistant Oklahoma Attorney General Jennifer Crabb told the board this wasn’t a robbery, but a premeditated murder. 

“Grissom was there to kill,” Crabb said. 

Grissom’s lawyers have argued that he shouldn’t be put to death, claiming that he sustained brain damage when he was born. They claimed he also sustained further brain damage from repeatedly crashing his motorcycle while he was a teenager. 

Shawn Agharkar, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Grissom never recovered from his brain damage and was significantly impaired.

Prosecutors argued there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support these claims. 

Grissom chose not to address the board or ask for mercy. His lawyers said Grissom was in physical pain, but Crabb said that wasn’t the entire reason Grissom didn’t go before the board.

Crabb read a transcript and provided an audio recording of Grissom, who said he didn’t want clemency. 

Matthews’ family addressed the board and described her as a beautiful and selfless girl who died protecting others.

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Kopf tearfully told the board that she still lives in constant fear and has post traumatic stress disorder. Grissom “came in shooting and never stopped.” Kopf told the board.

“I carry the results of your evil actions deep in my body with the fragments of the bullets that cannot be removed. I carry the results of your evil actions when one was to hope for me to bring more kids into this world,” Kopf said, addressing Grissom even though he didn’t attend the hearing. “I carry the results of your evil actions that you stole the childhood from my innocent girls.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release he was grateful for the board’s clemency denial.

Grissom’s execution is scheduled for March 20. He is the only person scheduled for execution in Oklahoma this year. The state had expected to execute most of its death row population by December 2024. But the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals slowed the pace of executions at the request of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and corrections officials over mental health concerns for state prison staff. 

Oklahoma ranks third in the nation for executions after carrying out four last year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Grissom is scheduled for execution on March 20. If executed, Grissom would be the 16th person put to death since Oklahoma resumed executions in 2021 after a five-year moratorium. 

Oklahoma currently has 31 people on death row.

Oklahoma executions since 2021
Oct. 28, 2021: John Marion Grant
Dec. 9, 2021: Bigler Jobe Stouffer II
Jan. 27, 2022: Donald Anthony Grant
Feb. 17, 2022: Gilbert Postelle
Aug. 25, 2022: James Allen Coddington
Oct. 20, 2022: Benjamin Cole
Nov. 17, 2022: Richard Fairchild
Jan. 12, 2023: Scott Eizember
July 20, 2023: Jemaine Cannon
Sep. 21, 2023: Anthony Sanchez
Nov. 30, 2023: Phillip Hancock
April 4, 2024: Michael DeWayne Smith
June 27, 2024: Richard Rojem
Sept. 26, 2024: Emmanuel Littlejohn
Dec. 19, 2024: Kevin Underwood