A death row inmate in Oklahoma, Phillip Dean Hancock, was executed on Thursday morning for the fatal shooting of two men in 2001. Hancock, 59, made a unique request for his final meal, asking for only fried chicken with no sides. The execution took place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary after Republican Governor Kevin Stitt decided not to commute Hancock’s sentence, despite a clemency recommendation from the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.
Hancock had maintained his innocence and claimed self-defense in the killings of Robert Jett Jr., 37, and James Lynch, 58. According to Hancock’s attorneys, Jett and Lynch were members of outlaw motorcycle gangs and had attacked him inside Jett’s home. They alleged that Jett had lured Hancock, who was unarmed, to his home and ordered him to get inside a large cage before attacking him with a metal bar. In response, Hancock managed to grab Jett’s pistol and shoot both men.
However, the state’s attorneys argued that Hancock’s accounts of the events were inconsistent and did not align with physical evidence. They also presented a witness who testified that Hancock had chased Jett into the backyard after shooting him inside the house. The witness recalled Jett saying he was going to die, to which Hancock allegedly responded, “Yes, you are,” before shooting him again.
Hancock’s execution marks the fourth in Oklahoma this year. The next scheduled execution in the state is for James Ryder on February 1, who was sentenced to death for the 1999 killing of Daisy Hallum and received a life sentence without parole for the killing of her son, Sam Hallum.
The execution of Phillip Dean Hancock highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the death penalty in the United States. Advocates argue that it serves as a deterrent and brings justice to victims and their families, while opponents raise concerns about wrongful convictions and the moral implications of state-sanctioned killing. The decision by Governor Kevin Stitt to deny clemency in this case adds to the broader conversation about the use of capital punishment in America.
