Over 20 people showed up to the Oklahoma State Penitentiary on Thursday morning to watch Wendell Grissom’s execution. 

Grissom, who killed Amber Dawn Matthews, 23, in 2005, apologized and stated he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol but it doesn’t excuse his actions, according to media witnesses.

“I pray that you all can forgive me. Not for my sake, but for your sake,” Grissom said.

Grissom, 56, was sentenced to death for shooting Matthews during a home invasion near Watonga. Grissom broke into Dreu Kopf’s home in November 2005 and shot her three times. He then chased Matthews down, who ran to the children’s room and died while shielding the infants from bullets. Grissom shot Matthews twice in the head. 

Kopf escaped after taking Grissom’s truck and flagging down a truck driver. After hearing the gunshots, she assumed her children were dead. 

Kathy Johnson, Matthews’ step-sister, said she attended the execution for “final closure,” but added she didn’t believe it should have taken 20 years to put Grissom to death. Johnson described Matthews as an angel with a joyful personality. 

“The last words she spoke were ‘please don’t shoot me,’ and Grissom didn’t care,” Johnson said.

Kopf testified at Grissom’s clemency hearing in February and urged the board members to deny clemency. She told the board she carries the fragments of the bullets with her daily and although she and her daughters survived; they’ve struggled in the years since the killing. The board denied clemency for Grissom with a 4-1 vote, despite his legal team alleging he suffered multiple brain injuries when he was younger. 

An Oklahoma Department of Corrections spokesperson reported that 26 of Matthews’ loved ones attended Grissom’s execution. Grissom had seven people in attendance.

Grissom was declared dead at 10:13 a.m. 

He requested a medium thick crust Canadian bacon supreme pizza for his last meal. He also requested one pint of coke and one pint of vanilla ice cream.

After the execution, Kopf delivered a statement. She said it took 13 minutes for Grissom to die but two minutes for him to shoot her “best friend.” She told The Frontier she wouldn’t have missed Grissom’s execution. 

“You guys really need to remember her because she was incredible,” Kopf said. “She saved my kids.”

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a press release that justice had been served. 

“The execution of this sentence affirms our commitment to holding accountable those who commit the most heinous crimes against our citizens,” Drummond said. “While nothing can bring Amber back, I hope this final chapter brings some measure of peace to those who have waited so long for justice to prevail.”

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 Ray Underwood