A death row inmate in Oklahoma was preparing for his scheduled execution Thursday when Gov. Kevin Sitt spared his life and announced his decision to commute Wood’s sentence from death to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Tremane Wood, 46, is the sixth condemned person to receive clemency in the state in the modern history of capital punishment.
Clemency came after a vote last week by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended it.
“After a thorough review of the facts and prayerful consideration, I have chosen to accept the Pardon and parole Board’s recommendation to commute Tremane Wood’s sentence to life without parole,” Sitt said in a statement Thursday morning. “This action reflects the same punishment his brother received for their murder of an innocent young man and ensures a severe punishment that keeps a violent offender off the streets forever.”
Wood was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2001 murder of Ronnie Wipf, a migrant farmworker from Montana, at a hotel in Oklahoma City on New Year’s Eve, according to court records. He and his legal representatives maintained Wood’s innocence in the murder, saying the inmate was involved in a botched robbery but not the killing — which, they say, his brother committed alone.
The announcement marked Sitt’s second clemency grant since taking office, with the last going to former death row inmate Julius Jones in 2021. Jones’ commutation came on the heels of significant public outcry over his case, as people questioned whether or not his conviction for murder was legitimate.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
