Oklahoma executes Kendrick Antonio Simpson

McALESTER, Okla. (DPN) — Oklahoma executed Kendrick Antonio Simpson on Thursday for the 2006 drive-by shooting deaths of two men following a dispute at an Oklahoma City nightclub, marking the state's first lethal injection of the year and the nation's third.

Simpson, 45, was pronounced dead at 10:19 a.m. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after receiving a three-drug cocktail, prison officials said. He had been convicted of first-degree murder in the killings of Anthony Jones, 19, and Glen Palmer, 20, who were shot while sitting in a car outside the club. Simpson admitted to firing into the vehicle, later telling authorities he was "compelled by paranoia."

The execution came after Simpson's clemency request was denied by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in January, and Gov. Kevin Stitt declined to intervene. Simpson, a Hurricane Katrina evacuee from Louisiana who had relocated to Oklahoma, expressed remorse in his final statement, according to witnesses. "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused," he said before the procedure began.

His last meal included a classic fast-food spread: a cheeseburger, fries and a milkshake from a popular chain.

The crime stemmed from an altercation inside the nightclub where Simpson and Palmer argued. Simpson followed the victims outside and opened fire from his vehicle, striking both men multiple times. Jones and Palmer died at the scene. Simpson was arrested shortly after and sentenced to death in 2008 after a jury trial in Oklahoma County.

Crystal Allison, Palmer's sister, spoke to reporters after the execution, saying justice had been served after nearly 20 years. "Even after all this time, it's a relief," she said. No immediate family members of Jones attended, according to prison records.

Opponents of the death penalty, including the Catholic Mobilizing Network and the ACLU of Oklahoma, had urged a halt to the execution, citing Simpson's rehabilitation during his time on death row.

ACLU representatives described Simpson as a "steady nice guy" who had participated in prison programs and maintained good behavior. "This execution is a tragedy that solves nothing," said a statement from the Catholic group, echoing broader calls against capital punishment.

Oklahoma has executed 12 inmates since resuming lethal injections in 2021 after a six-year hiatus due to botched procedures. Simpson's death brings the state's total to over 120 since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976.

Two more executions are scheduled in Oklahoma later this year.

Simpson's attorneys had argued in appeals that his trial was flawed due to ineffective counsel and racial bias in jury selection, but courts rejected those claims. The U.S. Supreme Court denied a final stay hours before the execution.

The case drew limited national attention but highlighted ongoing debates over the death penalty in Oklahoma, where supporters argue it provides closure for victims' families while critics point to risks of error and moral concerns.

Source: DPN, Agencies, AI, February 12, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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