Wendell Grissom Executed in Oklahoma After Two Decades for Home Invasion Murder

Oklahoma executed Wendell Grissom on Thursday for the 2005 murder of Amber Matthews during a home invasion and robbery. The lethal injection took place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, with Grissom pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. This marks Oklahoma’s first execution of 2023 and the ninth in the United States for the year.

Details of the Case

Grissom, 56, was found guilty of shooting Matthews, 23, and wounding her friend Dreu Kopf at a residence in Blaine County. Grissom and his co-defendant, Jessie Floyd Johns, targeted Kopf’s home when they were traveling westbound on Interstate 40. While Johns received a sentence of life in prison without parole, Grissom’s death sentence was affirmed despite his attorneys presenting claims of untreated brain damage.

The Execution Process

Witnesses reported that the execution took approximately 13 minutes, contrasting sharply with the two minutes it took for Grissom to shoot Matthews. As the lethal drugs were administered, a minister was present, praying at Grissom’s feet. Witnesses heard him snore before a doctor confirmed he was unconscious about five minutes into the process.

Impact on Victims

Kopf, who survived the attack, expressed her anguish over the events. “It took him a total of 13 minutes to die, and it took him a total of two minutes to kill my best friend,” Kopf stated. She has lived with psychological and physical remnants of the attack, which included bullet fragments in her body and ongoing anxiety triggered by unexpected situations.

Reactions and Statements

During his execution, Grissom offered an apology to the victims’ families, saying, “I apologize to all of you that I’ve hurt… I regret so much that I’ve put that hatred in your heart for me.” His legal team, while acknowledging his guilt, emphasized his remorse and responsibility in a clemency hearing where they sought to highlight his mental health issues.

Legal Context

Prosecutors characterized the case as a “textbook” example for the death penalty, citing the violent nature of the crime. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond remarked, “The crimes committed by Grissom, random, brutal attacks on innocent strangers in the sanctity of their own home, are the very kind that keep people awake at night.”

Oklahoma’s Execution Procedures

The state of Oklahoma has faced scrutiny regarding its execution practices, particularly its method of administering lethal injections. Grissom’s execution utilized a three-drug protocol, starting with a sedative, followed by a paralytic agent, and concluding with a drug intended to stop the heart. Despite plans for nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative execution method introduced in 2015, Oklahoma has yet to implement it.

Future Executions

Prior to Grissom’s execution, Oklahoma last executed an inmate in December, bringing the total to 127 since the death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1976. In the same week as Grissom’s execution, other states were also carrying out capital punishment, highlighting ongoing debates surrounding the death penalty across the country.

For more information on the death penalty and ongoing legal controversies, please refer to official legal resources.