Oklahoma governor grants clemency to Julius Jones hours before scheduled execution

The governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, has granted clemency to Julius Jones, a death row inmate who faced execution on Thursday afternoon.

Following a recommendation from the state pardon and parole board, Stitt, a Republican, acted with just four hours to spare before the scheduled state killing.

The parole board had recommended life with the possibility of parole.

Jones, 41, has maintained his innocence for more than two decades but had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in McAlester.

Jones maintains he was framed by the actual killer, a high school friend and co-defendant who testified against him and was released after 15 years. State and county prosecutors said the evidence against Jones was overwhelming.

The pardon and parole board twice voted 3-1 to recommend clemency.

In a separate vote on Wednesday, the board voted 3-2 to grant clemency to another death row inmate, Bigler Stouffer, citing concerns with state lethal injection protocols. Stouffer is scheduled to die on 9 December.

Stitt appointed two of the three members who voted to recommend clemency: Adam Luck and Kelly Doyle. The third member, Larry Morris, was appointed by the court of criminal appeals.