Jones, who is Black, was sentenced to death after being convicted of Howell’s murder during a carjacking. Jones says he’s innocent and millions support his claims So who is Julius Jones, and why have so many people following his case? The ruling was a boon to Jones’ many supporters, but the Republican governor on Thursday said he was commuting the sentence with the condition Jones will not be eligible for a commutation, pardon or parole for the rest of his life. The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board has twice recommended Jones’ sentence be commuted to life in prison with the possibility of parole, most recently in a 3-1 vote on November 1. Kevin Stitt announced he’d decided to commute Jones’ sentence to life in death without the possibility of parole, saying in a statement on Twitter he came to the decision after “prayerful consideration.” Jones had been scheduled to be executed Thursday afternoon for the murder of Paul Howell in 1999. “We need Julius Jones to be held responsible.The death sentence of Julius Jones was commuted by Oklahoma’s governor Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole, stopping his impending execution. And he still feels no shame, guilt or remorse for his action,” Tobey said. “He is the same person today as he was 22 years ago. Paul Howell’s sister, Megan Tobey, testified before the board that she distinctly remembers seeing Jones shoot her brother in front of his two young daughters. “It also failed Julius by condemning him to death for something he did not do.” “In these ways and more, the criminal justice system failed Mr. Jones said in his commutation filing that the gun and bandanna were planted there by the actual killer.īut Jones’ attorney, Amanda Bass, said his criminal trial was corrupted by the use of junk forensic science, jailhouse informants and a plea deal for the co-defendant who testified against him. Investigators also found the murder weapon and a bandanna with Jones’ DNA in an attic space above his bedroom. Trial transcripts show witnesses identified Jones as the shooter and placed him with Howell’s stolen vehicle. Jones also maintains his trial was contaminated by a racist juror, but the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rejected that claim. But Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater and former state Attorney General Mike Hunter have said the evidence against Jones is overwhelming. Jones alleges he was framed by the actual killer, a high school friend and former co-defendant who was a key prosecution witness. Since then, reality television star Kim Kardashian West and athletes with Oklahoma ties, including NBA stars Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin and Trae Young, have urged Stitt to commute Jones’ death sentence and spare his life. Jones’ case drew attention after it was profiled in “The Last Defense,” a three-episode documentary produced by actress Viola Davis that aired on ABC in 2018. She also said Jones has had so much money deposited into his inmate account in the last couple of years that he has sent $18,000 to family and friends. “Jones repeatedly and unequivocally told his attorneys that his parents were mistaken and that he was not at home the night of the murder,” said Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Crabb.Ĭrabb said Jones is a recognized member of the Bloods gang and that he has continued to commit criminal acts while in prison, including possessing contraband and using other inmate’s pin numbers to make telephone calls.
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