In McAlester, Oklahoma, Kendrick Simpson, 45, was executed on Thursday, becoming the state's first execution of the year. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 CT after a three-drug injection. Simpson was convicted of shooting and killing Anthony Jones, 19, and Glen Palmer, 20, in a drive-by shooting following an altercation at an Oklahoma City nightclub in 2006.
After fleeing New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, Simpson admitted to the killings and expressed remorse at a recent clemency hearing, stating, I apologize for murdering your sons. I don't make any excuses. I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them. His plea for clemency was narrowly rejected by the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.
The U.S. Supreme Court also dismissed a late appeal to block his execution, and some family members of the victims testified in favor of the execution, with Palmer’s sister saying that Simpson’s actions left her family permanently shuttered by grief.
Simpson's legal team argued he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the traumatic environment he grew up in New Orleans, suggesting that he should not face execution for his crime. They wrote, The death penalty is supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst offenses and offenders. Kendrick and his case represent neither.
However, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond labeled Simpson a ruthless and violent killer who hunted his victims without remorse. This execution is indicative of ongoing debates about the morality and legality of the death penalty in the U.S., especially concerning mental health issues and the background of offenders.
As 2026 unfolds, Simpson's case represents a larger societal struggle regarding justice, forgiveness, and the implications of past trauma on present actions, with the death penalty continuing as a polarizing topic across the nation.
After fleeing New Orleans post-Hurricane Katrina, Simpson admitted to the killings and expressed remorse at a recent clemency hearing, stating, I apologize for murdering your sons. I don't make any excuses. I don’t blame others, and they didn’t deserve what happened to them. His plea for clemency was narrowly rejected by the state’s Pardon and Parole Board.
The U.S. Supreme Court also dismissed a late appeal to block his execution, and some family members of the victims testified in favor of the execution, with Palmer’s sister saying that Simpson’s actions left her family permanently shuttered by grief.
Simpson's legal team argued he had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the traumatic environment he grew up in New Orleans, suggesting that he should not face execution for his crime. They wrote, The death penalty is supposed to be reserved for the worst of the worst offenses and offenders. Kendrick and his case represent neither.
However, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond labeled Simpson a ruthless and violent killer who hunted his victims without remorse. This execution is indicative of ongoing debates about the morality and legality of the death penalty in the U.S., especially concerning mental health issues and the background of offenders.
As 2026 unfolds, Simpson's case represents a larger societal struggle regarding justice, forgiveness, and the implications of past trauma on present actions, with the death penalty continuing as a polarizing topic across the nation.
