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To U.S. Death Row Inmates, Today's Election is a Matter of Life or Death

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You don't have to tell Daniel Troya and the 40 other denizens of federal death row locked in shed-sized solitary cells for 23 hours a day, every day, that elections have consequences. To them, from inside the U.S. government's only death row located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Tuesday's election is quite literally a matter of life and death: If Kamala Harris wins, they live; if Donald Trump wins, they die. "He's gonna kill everyone here that he can," Troya, 41, said in an email from behind bars. "That's as easy to predict as the sun rising."
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Oklahoma | Execution of Emmanuel Littlejohn Stayed

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Execution of Emmanuel Littlejohn Stayed in Oklahoma Before November 2, 2023

Emmanuel Littlejohn was scheduled to be executed at 10 a.m. local time on Thursday, November 2, 2023. The execution, which would have taken place inside the execution chamber at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, Oklahoma, will not take place as scheduled. It has been stayed and is awaiting a new execution date. 

51-year-old Emmanuel was convicted of murdering Kenneth Meers on June 20, 1992, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. For the last 29 years, Emmanuel has resided on death row in Oklahoma.

Emmanuel’s mother was addicted to drugs and his father was an alcoholic who took little interest in his son. Emmanuel was abandoned by his mother at the age of 5. Drugs, alcohol, gambling, and violence were often present in the home where Emmanuel grew up. Emmanuel struggled in school and had a poor home life, where food, basic necessities, and utilities were not always available. 

While under the age of 18, Emmanuel stole several cars, resulting in a stay at a juvenile facility. Two weeks after his release at the age of 18, Emmanuel committed a robbery while armed, resulting in a nearly 2-year jail term.

A few weeks after his release, on June 20, 1992, Emmanuel Littlejohn and Glenn Bethany entered the Root ’n’ Toot convenience store, with the intention of robbing it. At that time, Tony Hulsey, Danny Waldrup, and Kenneth Meers were working at the store. As Bethany and Littlejohn exited the store, Kenneth was shot in the face. He died from his injuries.

Littlejohn has long maintained that he did not fire the fatal shot. However, under Oklahoma’s felony murder law, a person who commits a felony crime where a murder occurs is responsible for the murder, no matter if they actually killed the person.

Bethany, who Littlejohn maintains pulled the trigger, was also tried and convicted. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has requested that several of the upcoming scheduled executions in the state be rescheduled to allow more time between executions. Oklahoma’s Department of Corrections is currently understaffed and preparing for an execution is time intensive. Drummond’s request was granted by the courts. Several executions have been rescheduled, however many, including Littlejohn have not yet received their new execution dates.

Please pray for peace for the family of Kenneth Meers. Please pray for strength for the family of Emmanuel Littlejohn. Pray that if Emmanuel is innocent, lacks the competency to be executed, or should not be executed for any other reason that evidence will be provided before his execution. Pray that Emmanuel will find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Source: theforgivenessfoundation.org, Staff, November 2, 2023

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Location: Oklahoma, USA
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