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On Thursday, the state of Oklahoma carried out the execution of Wendell Grissom, who was convicted of murdering a woman during a home invasion and robbery two decades ago.
Grissom, 56, received a lethal injection at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, where he was pronounced dead at 10:13 a.m. This marks the first execution in Oklahoma for the year and the ninth in the United States overall. Among these, six were performed using lethal injection, while others utilized nitrogen gas or a firing squad.
Grissom and his accomplice, Jessie Floyd Johns, were found guilty of the murder of 23-year-old Amber Matthews and the serious injury of her friend, Dreu Kopf, at Kopf’s home in Blaine County back in 2005. Johns is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
In his final moments, Grissom expressed remorse, stating, “I apologize to all of you that I’ve hurt,” as he lay restrained on the gurney with an IV inserted into his arm. He acknowledged the pain his actions had caused, expressing regret for the hatred he imposed on others.
A minister offered a prayer at Grissom’s feet before the execution drugs began to take effect. Witnesses reported that he breathed heavily and snored before a doctor confirmed he was unconscious approximately five minutes later. Observers noted that he appeared to stop breathing by 10:09 a.m., at which point his complexion began to change.
Grissom’s execution was witnessed by more than two dozen friends and family members of Matthews.
The crime, as outlined by prosecutors, began when Grissom picked up Johns while he was hitchhiking. They decided to commit robberies during their drive along Interstate 40, ultimately targeting Kopf’s residence. At the time, Matthews was visiting and had her two young children present. In a brutal act, Matthews was shot twice in the head, left fighting for her life on the floor, while Kopf, also critically injured, managed to escape in Grissom’s truck to seek assistance. Both men subsequently fled the scene but were apprehended soon afterward.
Law enforcement found Kopf’s children inside the home unharmed. Meanwhile, Matthews succumbed to her injuries after being transported to an Oklahoma City hospital.
While Grissom’s legal team acknowledged his guilt, they argued during a clemency hearing that he suffered from undiagnosed brain damage that was not presented during the trial. However, his appeal for clemency was rejected by the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.
Grissom’s attorneys emphasized that he has consistently taken responsibility for his actions, even writing an apology to Matthews’ family during his initial police interview. Kristi Christopher, an attorney representing him, stated, “He cannot change the past, but he is now and always has been deeply ashamed and remorseful.”
Dreu Kopf, who survived the attack, shared with the clemency board that she continues to struggle with the aftermath of that night. She described living in a constant state of fear, noting that she often calls 911 when unexpected visitors appear at her door, still haunted by the memory of the violence she endured.
Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, characterized Matthews’ murder as a “textbook” case for the death penalty due to its brutal nature and the violation of safety within one’s home.
In recent years, Oklahoma’s methods for procuring and administering drugs for lethal injections have faced significant scrutiny, as concerns over execution protocols have emerged following several problematic executions. The state has experimented with alternative execution methods, including nitrogen hypoxia, though it has yet to implement this method. The lethal injection protocol currently involves a cocktail of three drugs, starting with a sedative followed by a paralytic agent, and concluding with a drug designed to induce cardiac arrest.
Before Grissom’s execution, the last lethal injection carried out in Oklahoma took place in December. This week has seen a series of executions across the country, with Louisiana conducting its first execution using nitrogen gas after a 15-year pause, while Arizona and Florida proceeded with their own scheduled executions.
As documented by state prison records, Grissom’s execution was the 127th carried out by Oklahoma since the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976.
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