Stitt denies clemency for death row inmate
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Dec. 3—Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt denied clemency Friday for a death row inmate scheduled to die next week.
The governor denied clemency for Bigler Jobe Stouffer II, who is scheduled to die at 10 a.m. Dec. 9 at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
Stouffer was convicted in 2003 for first-degree murder in the death of Putnam City school teacher Linda Reaves in 1985 and related attempted murder of Doug Ivens.
The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3-2 in November to recommend clemency for Stouffer after questioning the state's execution methods despite board members saying the man was guilty in the crime.
"The last four (executions) if you go back six or seven years now, well that process is obviously flawed. We've had individuals on the table suffering for 20 and 30 minutes," said board member Larry Morris, who voted for the clemency recommendation. "I don't think that any humane society ought to be executing people that way, until we figure out how to do it right."
Stouffer said during his clemency hearing that he was not present when Reaves was shot.
"I am totally innocent of the murder of Linda Reaves and my heart goes out to the family of Linda Reaves that have suffered as a result of her murder," Stouffer said.
Stouffer said Ivens was shot as the two men fought over the gun.
Prosecutors said Stouffer went to the home to borrow the gun from Ivens, then fatally shot Reaves and wounded Ivens in an attempt to gain access to Ivens' $2 million life insurance policy.
Stouffer was the second death row inmate this year that the state's parole board recommended the governor commute his sentence.
Oklahoma ended a nearly seven-year moratorium on executions in October with the execution of John Marion Grant, convicted of killing a prison cafeteria worker.
Stitt granted clemency to Julius Jones hours before his scheduled Nov. 18 execution. The governor commuted the sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Derrick James at djames@mcalesternews.com
