Convicted killer Scott Eizember, 62, was executed by lethal injection Thursday at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
He was reportedly pronounced dead at 10:15 a.m.
Eizember’s execution was the 8th by lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary since 2021.
He was executed for the bludgeoning death of A.J. Cantrell, 76, and to 150 years in prison in the shotgun slaying of Patsy Cantrell, 70, at their Depew home in 2003.
Here are 5 other things to know about case and the execution, including what happened in a legal dispute over Eizember's chosen clergy member to be present during the execution.
What happened the night A.J. Cantrell and Patsy Cantrell died?
Eizember broke into the Cantrells' home to watch and wait for his ex-girlfriend to return to her mother's house across the street.
Eizember took the elderly couple hostage. A.J. Cantrell grabbed his shotgun and fired at Eizember, but in the chaos his wife was shot and killed. Eizember then beat Cantrell to death with the gun.
Eizember was also convicted of shooting with intent to kill his ex-girlfriend’s 16-year-old son, and assault with a dangerous weapon against his ex-girlfriend’s mother.
A manhunt for Scott Eizember followed the death of the Cantrells
Following his deadly crimes in Depew, Eizember led authorities on a 37-day manhunt, one of the longest in Oklahoma history.
He stole a woman’s car and fled 200 miles east to Arkansas, where he ran out of gas. He faked an injury, duped a doctor and his wife and son into helping him, then held them at gunpoint while driving their van 300 miles south.
When the couple talked Eizember into stopping for a restroom break, the doctor retrieved a pistol in his van and shot Eizember.
Eizember fled about 10 miles away, to Corrigan, Texas.
He stopped at a food store to get help for his wound, but left.
However, a store clerk described Eizember to authorities, who stopped him and took him to the hospital.
There, they learned he was wanted for murder.
Texas authorities arrested Eizember.
Can Scott Eizember gain clemency at the last minute?
In 2015, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals split 2-1 to uphold Eizember’s death sentence.
Current Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who served on the appeals court at the time, voted to uphold the death sentence.
In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Eizember’s final appeal by declining to review, without comment, the appeals court decision.
In December, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 to deny Eizember elemency.
The board’s decision meant Gov. Kevin Stitt could not change Eizember’s death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
In Oklahoma, a governor can commute a death row inmate's sentence only if the board recommends clemency.
What was the fight over a clergy member in the execution chamber?
On Monday, Eizember and his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood, filed a complaint in federal court, asking that Hood be allowed to be present with Eizember in the execution chamber.
The Oklahoma State Department of Corrections had denied Hood access to the execution, citing Hood’s social activism and concern for the “solemnity of the process.”
On Wednesday, department Director Steven Harpe announced the reversal of the decision to deny Hood access.
Harpe said the decision followed discussions with the Cantrell family.
“The family members of the victims in this case are ready for closure, and they understand that the lawsuit challenging the decision to deny chamber access to the activist could lead to Thursday’s execution being stayed,” Harpe said in a statement. “Far too often, it is the victim and the victim’s family who are overlooked in these cases. We want to make sure their concerns are heard instead of everything being solely about the inmate.”
Protesters express opposition
Protesters gathered at the Governor's Mansion in Oklahoma City to rally against Eizember’s execution.
The protesters gathered Thursday morning prior to Eizember's scheduled execution at 10 a.m.
- Eizember becomes the 1st condemned inmate to be put to death this year in Oklahoma, and the 120th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1990.
- Only Texas (579) has carried out more executions since the US Supreme Court allowed states to resume executions in their July 2, 1976 Gregg v Georgia decision.
- Eizember becomes the 3rd condemned inmate to be put to death this year in the USA and the 1,561st overall since the nation resumed executions on January 17, 1977.
- There are currently 4 executions scheduled in the country in February, and 3 more (thus far) in March.
Source: The Oklahoman, Josh Dulaney; Rick Halperin, January 12, 2023
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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
